If you regularly receive a disability check from the Social Security Administration, those benefits probably make an important and significant difference in your financial situation. Without question, it can be tremendously stressful to be unable to work and earn an income as you otherwise normally would. Social Security disability benefits can certainly help to relieve that stress.
Occasionally, some recipients wonder if there’s ever a possibility of receiving extra money in any given month. This is an understandable question to ask. Generally, the Social Security Administration makes payments on a specified schedule. Sometimes, that schedule does allow for the possibility of more than one payment per month. Let’s take a look at the benefits available, the typical payment schedules, and how an extra payment might occur.
What Types of Benefits Are Available?
As those who are receiving benefits may know, the two available types of Social Security disability benefits include Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits. The schedule depends on the type of benefit that the individual receives.
In order to receive either type of benefit, an individual must be able to establish that they have a qualifying medical condition that has rendered them disabled for at least one continuous calendar year or more.
To receive SSDI benefits, an individual must also be “insured.” This means they worked a job for a sufficient time and regularly paid a portion of their salary to the Social Security system. To receive SSI benefits, by contrast, and individual does not need to be insured. Instead, they must have been common resources below a certain annual limit established by the Social Security Administration. The type of benefit you receive will dictate your particular payment schedule.
A Look at Typical Payment Timelines
As a general rule, SSDI benefits are paid according to an individual’s birthdate. The one exception to this rule is for those individuals who began receiving benefits before May of 1997. Benefits are typically paid on the third of each month for those individuals. For individuals who begin receiving payments after May of 1997, however, the payment schedule is as follows:
- If the recipient’s birthdate falls on the 1st through the 10th of the month, the SSDI payment will be made on the second Wednesday of the month.
- If the beneficiary‘s birthday falls on the 11th through the 20th of the month, the SSDI payment will be made on the third Wednesday of each month.
- If the recipient’s birthdate falls on the 21st through the 31st of the month, the SSDI payment will be made on the fourth Wednesday of that month.
While SSDI payments are made on the basis of birthdate, SSI benefits, by contrast, are paid on a simpler schedule. As a general rule, SSI payments are made on the first of the month.
Can You Receive More Than One Payment Per Month?
Because SSI payments are made on the first of the month, you may wonder if there are some months when you could receive an extra payment. In fact, this is on occasion the case. In November 2024, for example, those who receive SSI benefits will receive an extra payment– and some could receive as many as three payments.
On November 1st, 2024, SSI recipients received their first payment of the month. Those recipients will also receive a second payment on Friday, November 29th. This is because the December payment would have been scheduled for December 1st, but because that day is a Sunday, the payment for the last month of 2024 will land on November 29th.
In addition, those who claimed Social Security before May of 1997, or who receive both SSDI and SSI payments might receive their payment on the first of the month, and another payment on the third of the month, as well as the final SSI payment on the 29th of the month.
While this is true for those receiving SSI benefits and those who began receiving SSDI benefits before May 1997, all other Social Security recipients will receive their payments according to the regular schedule. This means that benefits will be paid on the second, third, or fourth Wednesday of the month, depending upon the recipient’s birthdate.
Call Muse Disability Service Today
If you are considering pursuing a claim for Social Security disability benefits, it may be difficult to know when to take the first step and what that first step should be. If you find yourself in this situation, your first step should be to call Muse Disability Service. Our knowledgeable and experienced legal team understands the law, and we are ready to put that knowledge to work for you. We will always pursue the best strategies on your behalf, and there’s no day like today to get started. Give us a call today. We look forward to speaking with you soon.