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When Social Security Recipients Will Get Their Checks in February
By Mary Ellen Cagnassola MONEY RESEARCH COLLECTIVE
Social Security payments are distributed based on your birth date and other factors. Here’s the schedule for February 2024.
More February Social Security checks are heading to some beneficiaries this week.
These Social Security checks should reflect the new 3.2% cost-of-living adjustment (abbreviated COLA) for 2024. That’s lower than last year’s historic 8.7% increase, but still above average due to lingering inflation.
The average monthly payment for all beneficiaries was about $1,767 as of December 2023, according to the Social Security Administration. The agency expects that the average Social Security retirement benefit will increase by $50 a month in 2024 thanks to the COLA.
When will I get my February Social Security payment?
The SSA distributed Supplemental Security Income payments on the first of the month. Social Security payments for recipients who started claiming benefits before May 1997 — and those who receive both SSI and Social Security benefits — went out on Feb. 2.
If you only receive Social Security benefits and did not claim before May 1997, your payment date is determined by your birthday.
Payments for beneficiaries who have a birthday that falls between the first and 10th of any given month will receive their checks on Wednesday. Beneficiaries who have a birthday between the 11th and 20th of the month will get paid on Feb. 21.
The SSA will send out payments for beneficiaries with birthdays between the 21st and 31st the month on Feb. 28.
Where is my Social Security check for this month?
If you think your Social Security check didn’t arrive on time, you can reach out to the SSA. But you’re encouraged to wait three business days before ringing up the agency to inquire about your payment. You can call any weekday between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. at 1-800-772-1213.
You can also view your payment status by creating or logging into your Social Security online account under “Benefits & Payments.”
What is the SSA’s 2024 payment schedule?
Payments for beneficiaries who receive only Social Security typically get distributed on the second, third and fourth Wednesday of a given month, depending on birth date. Recipients of only SSI usually get their payments on the first, unless it falls on a weekend or federal holiday.
In this case, payments for SSI beneficiaries are moved to the previous business day, which means sometimes they will receive two payments one month and none the next. Beneficiaries of both SSI and Social Security (and those who claimed before May 1997) usually receive SSI on the first of the month and Social Security on the third — unless it falls on a holiday or a weekend, in which case these payments are also moved to the previous business day. That’s what’s happening in February.
How do I calculate my Social Security payment?
Your Social Security benefit is based on your average indexed monthly earnings during the 35 years you earned the most income. The SSA then applies a formula to figure out your primary insurance amount (called your PIA).
You can see your earnings history and calculate your benefit by creating or logging into your online account on the SSA’s website. The SSA offers a digital benefits calculator and other online tools to help you navigate your benefits.
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Mary Ellen (M.E.) Cagnassola joined Money as a reporter in 2022 following several years covering local communities in her home state of New Jersey and U.S. news for national brands, including Newsweek and People. Since receiving a B.A. in English and journalism and media studies from Rutgers University in 2017, M.E. has written about pretty much everything under the sun. As the versatile lead reporter for TAPinto Newark from 2019 to 2021, she won awards from the Center for Cooperative Media and the Society of Professional Journalists-New Jersey for her coverage of COVID-19, domestic violence, homelessness, eviction, police brutality, city government and more. She served on the board of the Society of Professional Journalists-New Jersey from 2021 to 2023. Her time at Money has afforded her newfound experience reporting primarily on Social Security policy, retirement, housing, lifestyle and employment. Influenced by her origins in community journalism, M.E.'s consumer finance coverage is informed by her dedication to service and equity. Some of her favorite topics that she has covered so far include the financial toll of caring for aging parents, sales taxes on diapers and period products, the booming personal loan industry and the customer service crisis at the Social Security Administration. Sometimes, M.E. makes TikTok videos for Money with her cat and Money’s in-house acting talent, Willow, from their home New York City.