In April 2025, Social Security payments are sent out on different dates throughout the month, depending on the person receiving the payment’s criteria, such as their date of birth or their special status in certain programs.
According to the Social Security Administration (SSA), the schedule is based on grouping beneficiaries on at least four dates. This way, the program does not get too busy or make mistakes.
Some beneficiaries got their payments on April 3, which was the first day of the month. These are people who have been getting Social Security retirement benefits since before May 1997. In this group are also living relatives of beneficiaries who have died and received the payments after the death of the beneficiary.
Other groups receiving their Social Security payments on April 3
April 3: This day is reserved for beneficiaries with special statuses, including:
- Those who applied for benefits before May 1997.
- People living in a foreign country.
- Those who receive both Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security, with Social Security payments on the 3rd and SSI on the 1st of each month.
- Beneficiaries whose Medicare premiums are paid by the state.
Three additional Social Security payment dates in April 2025
Together, these groups make up a very small portion of all beneficiaries. However, there are three other groups that make up the vast majority of the nearly 70 million federal beneficiaries who claim these payments across the country.
- April 9 (second Wednesday): Corresponds to beneficiaries whose birthday falls between the 1st and 10th of the month. This group includes most retirees who began receiving benefits after May 1997.
- April 16 (third Wednesday): This day is for those who have birthdays from the 11th to the 20th of the month, also post-May 1997.
- April 23 (fourth Wednesday): Covers beneficiaries with birthdays between the 21st and 31st of the month, completing the distribution based on date of birth for the remainder of the month.
Maximum Social Security benefits by age
The maximum amounts depend on the age at retirement, based on maximum taxable income from age 22 and retirement in January. Here are the amounts for 2025:
- At age 62: $2,831 (Reduction for early retirement, assumed at age 62 and 1 month).
- At age 65: $3,374 (Early retirement for 2003 on wards, at exactly age 65.).
- At age 66: $3,795 (Normal retirement age for those born between 1943 and 1954).
- At age 67: $4,043 (Normal age for those born in 1960 or later, maximum at this age for many).
- At age 70: $5,108 (maximum with late payment credits).
This means that if you make a lot of money and decide not to retire at age 62 but instead wait until you are 70, your monthly check will go from $2,831 to $5,108 for life. The most recent data we have shows that the average benefit was $1,976 in January 2025.
