The third Wednesday of March 2025, March 19, is the date that millions of Social Security beneficiaries in the United States have been waiting for… and no wonder: that day, they will receive their monthly payments according to the schedule established by the Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to recent SSA data, there are approximately 68 million Social Security beneficiaries in 2025. It is estimated that about 5% of beneficiaries who started before May 1997 are still receiving benefits, approximately 3.2 million, based on survival rates and average age in 1997 (about 70 years, which would bring them to 98 years in 2025, with a low probability of survival). This leaves approximately 64.8 million who started in or after May 1997.
The three Social Security payments for March are already defined
Social Security payments are scheduled based on the benefit start date and the beneficiary’s date of birth. Those who began receiving benefits before May 1997 receive their payment on the 3rd of each month. For those who started on or after May 1997, your payday depends on your date of birth.
As is done every month, the three groups will receive their payments following the following structure:
- Second Wednesday (March 12) for birth dates from 1 to 10.
- Third Wednesday (March 19) for dates from the 11th to the 20th.
- Fourth Wednesday (March 26) for dates from the 21st to the 31st.
Therefore, the March 19, 2025 payment will be for beneficiaries who started on or after May 1997 and have birth dates between the 11th and the 20th. This includes retired workers, disabled workers, and survivors or dependents, such as spouses and children, who receive benefits based on a worker’s record.
The average monthly amount for all Social Security beneficiaries in 2025 is approximately $1,850, adjusted for a 2.5% cost of living increase (COLA). However, this average varies depending on the type of benefit:
- Retired workers: $1,976 per month.
- Disabled workers: $1,580 per month.
- Survivors: about $1,400 per month.
The maximum possible amount for a beneficiary is $5,108 per month, applicable to retired workers who retire at full retirement age with maximum earnings history, also adjusted for the 2.5% COLA valid for 2025.
The March 19, 2025 payments include various types of beneficiaries, all based on the registration of an insured worker
- Retired Workers: People who have reached retirement age (generally 66-67 years, depending on year of birth) and have contributed enough to Social Security.
- Disabled Workers: Individuals with disabilities that prevent work and meet work history requirements.
- Survivors: Spouses, children or dependents of a deceased worker, who receive benefits based on the worker’s record.
- Dependents: Spouses and children of retired or disabled workers, who may receive additional benefits, paid on the same day as the primary beneficiary.
Note that payments to dependents and survivors align with the primary worker’s payment date, based on their date of birth.
Some beneficiaries will receive more money this month
Some eligible recipients may see increases in their payments due to the recently enacted Social Security Fairness Act. This law eliminates the Wind Benefit Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO), affecting more than 3.2 million people, such as teachers, firefighters, and federal employees, whose benefits were previously reduced by pensions not covered by Social Security.
Although the exact impact for March 19, 2025 is not specified, some beneficiaries may receive retroactive payments or monthly increases starting in April 2025, with increases of thousands of dollars they were denied.
