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Some Social Security Recipients Won’t Get a Payment in September (and That’s OK)
By Julia Glum MONEY RESEARCH COLLECTIVE
September SSI payments were sent out last Friday — and not again until Oct. 1.
Americans who receive Supplemental Security Income, or SSI, won’t get a payment during the calendar month of September — but there’s no cause for alarm.
September SSI payments were sent Friday due to a predetermined change in the schedule. After that, the next SSI check will go out Oct. 1.
SSI is a Social Security program that supports low- and no-income Americans who don’t have many resources and are disabled, blind or at least 65 years old. As of July, about 7.4 million people were receiving SSI every month, per government records. The average payment was just under $696.
When does SSI go out in September 2024?
The Social Security Administration typically sends out SSI payments on the first of every month. But in September 2024, the first is a Sunday. When payment dates fall on weekends or holidays, the agency moves distribution to the previous business day: Friday, Aug. 30.
To be clear, beneficiaries still got paid the full SSI amount for September — the specific date the funds dropped was just slightly different than normal.
Something similar will happen in December and January. Dec. 1 is on a Sunday, too, so December SSI checks will be sent out the previous business day: Nov. 29. And because Jan. 1 is New Year’s Day (a federal holiday), January SSI checks will be sent out on Dec. 31.
Social Security payment schedule for September
People who get both SSI and Social Security benefits, as well as those who started getting Social Security before May 1997, can expect their Social Security payments like normal on Tuesday (Sept. 3).
If you don’t fall into any of these categories, you’ll be paid according to the usual schedule in September. If your birthday is between the first and 10th, your check will come Sept. 11; if your birthday is between the 11th and 20th, your check will come Sept. 18; and if your birthday is between the 21st and 31st, your check will come Sept. 25.
SSI application updates
Scheduling quirks aren’t the only recent development involving SSI. The Social Security Administration announced last week that it’s planning to offer an improved, online SSI application to some people beginning in December.
The idea is to make what’s a notoriously laborious, lengthy process quicker and easier.
“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 what we now have, and we’re committed to achieving that vision over the next few years,” Social Security Commissioner Martin O’Malley said in a news release.
First-time, never-married applicants ages 18 to nearly 65 who are applying for Social Security benefits and SSI at the same time will be the first folks eligible to try the new system, formally called the “iClaim expansion.” The agency says it hopes to open it up to everyone late next year.
More from Money:
Thousands of Social Security Recipients Will Soon Qualify for Bigger Payments
5 Proposals to ‘Fix’ Social Security — and How They Could Affect Your Benefits
Where Do Donald Trump and Kamala Harris Stand on Social Security and Medicare?
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.