One particular (and admittedly curious) feature of the Social Security Administration (SSA) calendar has resulted in Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients receiving an additional payment in November. However, this extra check does not represent additional money, but rather responds to a technical issue predefined by the agency many years ago.
Typically, SSI payments are sent on the first day of each month. However, when this date falls on a weekend or holiday, the deposit is brought forward to the immediately preceding business day. This month, the first day of December will be Sunday, which leads to December payments being brought forward to Friday, November 29. This ensures that beneficiaries do not face delays and can receive their money on time.
This adjustment especially benefits elderly, blind or disabled people who depend on these funds to cover their basic needs. Although it may seem like a doubled income in November, it really isn’t; It simply corresponds to the following month’s check that is delivered early due to non-business days.
SSI payment dates and particularities in December 2024
The SSA organizes benefit payments based on various factors, such as the beneficiary’s date of birth and the length of time the beneficiary has been receiving payments. For example, those born between the 21st and 31st of a month will receive their retirement check on Wednesday, November 27th. However, those who are also beneficiaries of SSI or who began receiving benefits before May 1997 have other dates assigned to avoid crossings in the calendar.
In addition, the SSI situation is different because its payments are usually brought forward when they coincide with holidays, as will happen again in January 2025. On this occasion, the payment corresponding to the first month of the year will be brought forward to Tuesday, December 31, since on December 1 January is a national holiday. In the case of other benefits, such as retirement or SSDI (disability), a date change rarely occurs, as happens on December 25, which is a holiday.
SSI payment projections for 2025 with the COLA increase
With the arrival of 2025, SSI recipients will see an adjustment to their payments due to the annual Cost of Living (COLA) increase. The maximum payment for an eligible individual will be $967 per month, while a couple could receive up to $1,450. For their part, an essential support person will receive a maximum of $484 per month.
These amounts are calculated by applying the COLA increase to the current unrounded annual amount, which is then divided by 12 and rounded to the lowest multiple of $1. This ensures a proportional and fair update of benefits for the following year.
