Millions of Social Security beneficiaries will not receive a benefit check this month due to a calendar quirk.
Approximately 7.5 million Americans receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) will be affected.
SSI is a means-tested program that provides monthly checks to disabled Americans and low-income individuals age 65 and older, typically arriving on the first of the month.
Since September 1 fell on a Sunday this year, SSI payments for that month were sent out on August 30.
This means recipients will not receive a check during the month of September, and then October payments will be deposited as usual on Tuesday, October 1.
While this calendar quirk was pre-established in the Social Security Administration’s payment schedule, some Americans may not yet be aware of the date change.
About 7.5 million Americans receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) will be affected
The maximum monthly SSI benefit is $943 per person and $1,415 for a couple, according to Social Security data reported by CBS News.
Meanwhile, older Americans receiving Social Security retirement benefits receive an average payment of $1,907 a month.
These checks are typically sent in September and depend on the recipient’s birthday.
This comes after the Social Security Administration announced it is reviewing the process for applying for SSI benefits.
The new system will be introduced in December and will include an online application designed to streamline applications and claims processing.
“People in our communities who need this crucial safety net deserve the dignity of an application process that is less burdensome and more accessible than the one we have now, and we are committed to achieving that vision in the years ahead,” said Social Security Commissioner Martin O’Malley.
The benefit had previously been criticized for its eligibility barriers and the difficult processes that qualified Americans must go through to access the funds.
Additional Social Security payments are due this week for about 68 million Americans.
Total payments, including retirement, disability and survivors benefits, now cost the government about $1.5 trillion a year.
Two groups of Americans can expect to receive their payments in the first week of September.
For those who have been claiming Social Security since 1997, or claim both retirement benefits and Supplemental Security Income (SSI), these were paid on September 3.
The highest retirement payments are as high as $4,873, although the figure is likely to be lower for most beneficiaries.
The average monthly retirement check is $1,907, a figure that takes into account the 35 highest-earning years of a beneficiary’s career and is adjusted for inflation.
SSI recipients will not receive a check during the month of September, and then October payments will be deposited as usual on Tuesday, October 1.
Social Security Commissioner Martin O’Malley said the agency is committed to making the process of applying for SSI benefits easier for Americans.
Some retirement payments will arrive in the first week of September
“The maximum benefit depends on the age at which you retire. For example, if you retire at full retirement age in 2024, your maximum benefit would be $3,822,” the Social Security Administration states on its website.
‘However, if you retire at age 62 in 2024, your maximum benefit would be $2,710.
“If you retire at age 70 in 2024, your maximum benefit would be $4,873,” the site explains.
The timing of when Americans receive their payments depends on what day of the month their birthday falls on.
Applicants born between the 1st and 10th of any month will receive their monthly check on September 11.
Those whose birthdays are between the 11th and 20th of each month will receive their payments the following week, on September 18.
The last group, whose birthdays fall between the 21st and 31st of the month, will receive their benefits on September 25.
SSA recommends waiting three business days after a due date before contacting you about a late payment.
The Social Security Administration announced earlier this year that it is expected to run out of funds by 2035.
An aging population is driving up the cost of the Social Security program, as fewer people contribute to it and spending outstrips income.
The latest annual report report A report by the Social Security Board of Trustees found that the program will only be able to pay full benefits for the next 11 years, which is a year later than previous estimates.