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When Social Security Recipients Will Get Their Checks in October
By Julia Glum MONEY RESEARCH COLLECTIVE
October’s Social Security payments will go out according to a normal schedule.
Though Halloween is coming up, Social Security recipients can expect more treats than tricks this month: Payments in October will go out according to a normal schedule.
Roughly 68 million Americans receive Social Security benefits every month, including almost 9 out of every 10 people age 65 and up. Social Security funds aren’t just for older folks, though. Payments go out to retirees, survivors of late workers, those with little to no resources, disabled workers, the blind, dependents and more.
The average payments for those various demographics vary, but data from August shows the typical retirement benefit was just over $1,872.
When will I get my October Social Security payment?
Your Social Security payment date is determined by your birthday.
If you were born on the first through the 10th, you can expect to get your Social Security check on the second Wednesday of every month — in this case, Oct. 9.
If you were born on the 11th through the 20th, you can expect to get your Social Security check on the third Wednesday of every month — in this case, Oct. 16.
If you were born on the 21st through the 31st, you can expect to get your Social Security check on the fourth Wednesday of every month — in this case, Oct. 23.
Regardless of your birthday, Supplemental Security Income, or SSI, payments go out on the first. Folks who get both SSI and Social Security, as well those who claimed Social Security prior to May 1997, can expect their Social Security payments Thursday, Oct. 3.
Where is my October Social Security payment?
Check the payment schedule above.
If you think your money is missing, you can reach out to the Social Security Administration (SSA). The SSA has both local offices and a toll-free national number. The national phone number is 1-800-772-1213. Representatives are available weekdays from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time. Pro tip: The agency says wait times are shortest in the morning, late in the week and late in the month.
In any case, the SSA asks that you wait three mailing days before contacting it about a missing Social Security payment.
What is the SSA payment schedule for 2024?
You can find the SSA’s payment calendar on its website. It largely follows the schedule laid out above, but as you can tell, some months are different. In addition to there being no SSI payment in September, there will be two in November due to the way the calendar is.
To learn more about your payment status or to get additional help with Medicare, retirement benefits, disability, SSI and more, make a “my Social Security” account for free at SSA.gov.
How do I calculate my Social Security payment?
Benefits are generally calculated according to your average indexed monthly earnings, which include up to 35 years of your highest-earning years. The SSA then applies a formula to determine your primary insurance amount.
The amount of money retirees actually receive depends partially on their age. Though you can start getting Social Security retirement payments at 62 years old, the longer you wait to claim Social Security, the higher your payments will be (until age 70).
For many Americans, this money is crucial — Social Security accounts for about 30% of the income received by folks over age 65. As people live longer and legislators wrestle over future of Social Security, the cost of retirement is surging: In 2022, federal data shows retired households spent an average of $54,975, including $11,186 on shelter, $8,065 on transportation and $7,505 on health care.
You may also want to keep an eye this month on news around the 2025 Social Security cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA. It’s set to be announced Oct. 10; current estimates hover around 2.5%.
More from Money:
Social Security Recipients Could See Checks Garnished if They’re Behind on Student Loans
Retirement Is Broken — Is a ‘Pension Renaissance’ Coming to Save Us?
Social Security COLA: Projected 2025 Payments Tick up on Latest Inflation Data
Julia Glum is Money's news editor, keeping her finger on the pulse of financial trends that affect Americans' wallets. She also writes Dollar Scholar, a weekly newsletter that teaches young adults how to navigate the messy world of money. A 2014 graduate of the University of Florida's journalism school, she previously covered breaking news, politics and education at Newsweek and International Business Times. Julia joined Money in 2018; during her time as a reporter, she wrote frequently about Amazon, passive income, stimulus checks and creative ways people make money online (think: Vine compilations, Cash App Friday and Facebook gift groups). As an editor, she oversees Money’s tax coverage, which includes extensive reporting on tax credits, year-to-year policy changes, tax refunds and the IRS’s ongoing efforts to modernize. For several years, Julia has assisted with Money’s annual Best Colleges rating and Best Places to Live rankings. Recently, she also led Money’s 50th anniversary celebrations, producing the Money Classic newsletter and rolling out Changemakers, a project profiling 50 innovators working to revolutionize personal finance. Julia has interviewed National Taxpayer Advocate Erin Collins, actor Danny Devito, Nobel Prize-winning economist Robert Shiller, rapper Killer Mike, real estate guru Ryan Serhant and many others. Her work has been cited or otherwise shared by the New York Times, Washington Post, Vox, theSkimm, Mashable, CNBC and POLITICO. She’s appeared on Good Morning America, CBS News, PIX11, WGN, the Mountain West News Bureau and more. Julia is based in New York City. You can find her at juliaglum.com.