Social Security payment timing - will my first SS retirement check arrive in April or May?
I just finished submitting my Social Security retirement application and selected April as my benefit start month. What I'm confused about is exactly when I'll receive my first payment. Does Social Security pay for the current month or the previous month? In other words, will my April benefit arrive in April, or will I get it in May? I'd like to plan my finances accordingly since I'm retiring at the end of March. Thanks for any clarity on this!
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Jean Claude
Social Security pays benefits for the previous month. So your April benefit will be paid in May. SS payments are distributed based on your birth date: - Born 1st-10th: Second Wednesday - Born 11th-20th: Third Wednesday - Born 21st-31st: Fourth Wednesday If you started receiving benefits before May 1997, you get paid on the 3rd of each month instead.
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Chris Elmeda
•Thanks for explaining! My birthday is on the 17th, so I guess I'll receive my first payment on the third Wednesday of May for April's benefit. That helps me budget better. Appreciate it!
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Charity Cohan
My husband and I both get our SS on different days even tho we filed together! So confusing at first but now we're used to it. Good luck with retirement!!
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Josef Tearle
•This is why I'm anxious about my upcoming application! Do they clearly tell you which day your payment will arrive? I'm planning to file next month and worried about keeping track of everything.
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Charity Cohan
•They sent us letters with the payment dates. It's just based on birthdays like the other person said. Hubby gets his on 2nd Wed and I get mine 4th Wed.
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Shelby Bauman
One thing to keep in mind - if you're getting your payment by direct deposit (which most people do now), funds are available on your payment day. If you're getting a paper check by mail (not recommended), it might take a few extra days to arrive after the scheduled payment date. Also, the payment schedule remains the same every month - so if you're paid on the third Wednesday, that's your permanent payment day going forward.
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Quinn Herbert
•direct deposit is SO much better i had checks for 2 yrs and sometimes they'd come late and i'd worry. switched last year never going back
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Salim Nasir
Had similar question when I retired last year. Something else to know is if your payment date falls on a weekend or holiday, you'll usually get paid on the business day before. Happened to me twice already.
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Chris Elmeda
•That's good to know! I hadn't even thought about holidays affecting the payment schedule. I'll keep that in mind for planning those months.
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Hazel Garcia
If you need to speak with SSA about your payment schedule or have other questions, good luck getting through on their phone lines! I spent 3 weeks trying to reach someone about my payment issue. I finally used Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through - they have a service that waits on hold with SSA and calls you when an agent is ready to talk. Saved me hours of frustration. They have a video showing how it works at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU if you're curious. Worth it when you need to actually speak to someone at Social Security.
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Josef Tearle
•Has anyone else used this service? I'm dealing with a problem with my application and can't get through on the phone either. Been trying for days!
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Salim Nasir
•I used it once when my payment didn't come through. Worked fine. Better than waiting on hold for 2+ hours.
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Quinn Herbert
when i started getting my ss they told me the wrong date and i got real confused when nothing showed up in my account!! make sure u double check ur bday range and payment day!!!
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Shelby Bauman
•This is why I recommend creating a my Social Security account online at ssa.gov if you haven't already. You can verify all your payment information there, including scheduled payment dates. It's much more reliable than trying to remember what someone told you over the phone.
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Josef Tearle
I'm so stressed about starting my Social Security next year! Does anyone know if they backpay you if something goes wrong with your first payment? I'm worried about bills coming due and not having the money if there's some kind of delay or problem with my application. Should I apply extra early just to be safe???
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Jean Claude
•You can apply up to 4 months before you want benefits to begin, which is a good idea to ensure everything processes smoothly. If there is a delay in your first payment due to SSA processing issues (not application errors), they will include any backpay you're entitled to. Just make sure you have enough savings to cover 2-3 months of expenses when transitioning to retirement, as unexpected delays can happen.
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Salim Nasir
MY EXPERIENCE: Filed Jan 15th, picked Feb as start month, got first payment March 15th (3rd Wed since birthday is 18th). Exactly as scheduled. Most people don't have problems if paperwork is all correct.
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Chris Elmeda
•That's reassuring to hear! I submitted all my paperwork, and the SSA representative said everything looked in order. Fingers crossed it goes as smoothly for me as it did for you.
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Charity Cohan
Just wondering has anybody had their payment date wrong on their letter? My sister got her first one and the date was wrong based on her birthday so she called and they fixed it but it was super confusing
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Quinn Herbert
•yes!!! thats what happened to me!!! they had my bday wrong in system somehow even tho i gave them my id and everything!!
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