The Social Security Administration (SSA) is one of the most renowned and respected institutions in the United States, not only for its solidity, but also for its absolute respect for payment schedules every month. That has to be the case, strictly, because more than 70 million Americans receive these payments and use them to pay all their living expenses.
Most of those beneficiaries depend largely (or entirely) on that money to have a decent life. The SSA has a schedule that is followed with complete rigor, and the month of December 2024, which is the last of the year 2024, already has its payment dates duly stipulated for both retirees and recipients of disability benefits (SSDI), and Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
SSDI and Retirements for beneficiaries in December 2024
Since SSI benefits are already in the recipients’ bank accounts (which were sent on November 29, ahead of the December 1 holiday), regular Social Security payments remain to be sent in the second, third, and fourth Wednesday, according to the following list:
- Second Wednesday, December 11: This payment corresponds to those born between the 1st and 10th of any month.
- Third Wednesday, December 18: Beneficiaries born between the 11th and the 20th receive their payments on this date.
- Fourth Wednesday, December 25: Those born between the 21st and the 31st will receive their payment on this last assigned date.
In 2025, the maximum monthly Social Security benefit will be $4,018 for people who retire at full retirement age. This increase represents a significant improvement compared to $3,822 in 2024, thanks to a 2.5% increase derived from the Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA). Additionally, the maximum Social Security Disability (SSDI) benefit will be at the same figure for those who reach full retirement age that year, reflecting the same annual adjustment based on inflation.
It is important to note that this maximum amount applies only to those who meet the full retirement age (FRA), which is 67 years for those born after 1960. Likewise, beneficiaries with dependents could receive a higher amount, depending on their family situation. These modifications seek to protect the purchasing power of the beneficiaries and offer greater financial security in the face of economic changes.
The COLA increases of the last years
Additionally, SSI recipients can expect a maximum amount of $967 for an eligible individual, while for a qualifying couple it is $1,450, and for an essential support person it is $484 per month.
The latest cost of living adjustment (COLA), which applies from January 2025, is 2.5%, slightly less than that of 2024 which was 3.2%. One of the highest COLAs in the history of Social Security was applied in 2023, the most important post-pandemic year: that increase was 8.7%. A year earlier it was also a significant increase, since America was going through one of the most important crises of the last century. The increase was 5.9% on that occasion, more than five times larger than that of 2021, which was 1.3%, and that of 2020, which was defined at 1.6%.
