This week, two payments will be made by the Social Security Administration (SSA).
What To Know
Millions of Americans receive Social Security benefits, whether it be retirement checks or disability payments, known as Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
On Friday, August 1, checks will go out for SSI recipients, retirees who have been collecting checks since before May 1997, and retirees who also collect SSI benefits.
Following on the from this, further payments will be made on
- Wednesday, August 13: Retirement, spousal and survivor benefits for those born between the 1st and 10th of any calendar month
- Wednesday, August 20: Benefits for those born between the 11th and 20th
- Wednesday, August 27: Benefits for those with birthdays between the 21st and 31st
- Friday, August 29: SSI payments. This payment would usually come at the first of the month for September. However, due to September 1 falling on Labor Day, a national holiday, the payment will be made slightly earlier.
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How Much Can I Get?
The average Social Security check was $2,002.39 as of May 2025, although numerous seniors have expressed dissatisfaction about the amount they get.
“The average Social Security benefit amount changes monthly,” an agency spokesperson told Newsweek. “As wages tend to rise over time, each new group of retirees raises the average benefit amount, since their benefit calculations typically reflect higher earnings.”
Social Security benefits vary by individual. Payments are calculated based on a person’s 35 highest-earning years—adjusted for inflation—and the age at which they begin claiming benefits.
In 2025, the maximum monthly benefit for someone retiring at the full retirement age of 67 is $4,018. Retiring early at 62 reduces the maximum to $2,831, while delaying retirement until 70 raises the potential benefit to as much as $5,108 per month.
SSI recipients received an average of $718.30. How much beneficiaries get is based on how much money they earn and other resources available to them.
Seniors on Social Security
With more than 50 million Americans collecting retirement checks from the federal government every month, many seniors want to see major reform to the program, according to a new report by The Senior Citizen’s League.
The advocacy group found that only 10 percent of beneficiaries are satisfied with their monthly check, while 63 percent reported being dissatisfied.
Beneficiaries have also taken issue with the annual cost of living adjustment, or COLA, with many saying it doesn’t accurately reflect cost increases year-to-year for older Americans. In a recent poll, 34 percent of respondents identified updating the COLA formula as their top policy priority for enhancing Social Security benefits.
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