Social Security payments will be sent out to millions of beneficiaries across the U.S. this week. Those who claim Supplemental Security Income (SSI), including adults and children with disabilities or who are blind with little to no income, will receive their payments on Friday, January 31. Typically, SSI payments are distributed on the first of every month.
However, when the first falls on a weekend or federal holiday, the Social Security Administration (SSA) adjusts the schedule to ensure claimants receive their funds in a timely manner. “We do this to avoid putting you at a financial disadvantage and make sure that you don’t have to wait beyond the first of the month to get your payment,” the SSA said in a 2022 blog post. “It does not mean that you are receiving a duplicate payment in the previous month, so you do not need to contact us to report the second payment.”
If a payment hasn’t arrived as expected, the SSA advises waiting three working days before contacting the agency.
Weekends and federal holidays are not counted as working days.
Early SSI payment notification
The maximum monthly SSI benefit for 2025 has increased to $967 for an individual and $1,450 for a couple, compared to $943 and $1,415, respectively, in 2024.
This is due to the annual Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) that went into effect at the start of this year. The 2025 COLA raise is smaller than those in recent years. In 2024, benefits increased by 3.2 percent, while 2023 saw a significant 8.7 percent increase following a period of high inflation driven by the coronavirus pandemic.
The amount a beneficiary receives varies based on factors like income, type of disability, and the number of people living in the claimant’s household. According to the Congressional Research Service, the average federally administered SSI payment in February 2024 was $697. Mary Johnson, an independent Social Security and Medicare policy analyst, commented: “The 2025 COLA will be the smallest in recent years, at the same time inflated prices persist on key essentials such as housing, meats, auto insurance, and any type of service and repairs.
Despite it being the lowest COLA since 2021, a 2.5 percent COLA would be considered about average.”
Those who claim SSI can expect their next payment on February 28, once again a day earlier than usual.