The next round of March’s Social Security payments are on the way. Beneficiaries who have received Social Security prior to May 1997 and those who receive both Social Security and Supplementary Security Income should have already been paid. For everyone else, payments will be trickled out through the next few weeks. We’ll break it down.
Thanks to the COLA increase, Social Security beneficiaries and people who receive Supplemental Security Income or Social Security Disability Insurance should have received a pay bump as well in their monthly payment. If you aren’t sure when you should expect your check, you’ve come to the right place.
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Read on to find out when you should receive your payment for March and how your payment date is determined by the Social Security Administration. Plus, we’ll cover other government benefit payment dates.
For more, don’t miss the Social Security and SSDI cheat sheet. And if you’re still waiting on your check from February, check out what you should do if your Social Security payment is missing.
Here’s when you’ll receive your Social Security check
Want to know which day of the month you’ll get your check? Here’s the Social Security and SSDI payment schedule for March.
Social Security payment schedule for March 2025
| If you have received Social Security since before May 1997 | Mar. 3 |
|---|---|
| If your birthday falls between the 1st and 10th of any given month | Mar. 12 |
| If your birthday falls between the 11th and 20th of any given month | Mar. 19 |
| If your birthday falls between the 21st and 31st of any given month | Mar. 26 |
How your payment date is determined is slightly tricky
Social Security payments are typically paid out starting on the second Wednesday of the month. The remaining two payments will be paid out on the following two Wednesdays of the month. Which week you receive your payment depends on your birthdate. There is one big exception, which I’ll cover below.
| Birthdate between: | Social Security check date |
|---|---|
| 1st and the 10th | 2nd Wednesday of the month |
| 11th and the 20th | 3rd Wednesday of the month |
| 21st and 31st | 4th Wednesday of the month |
Other government benefits may not be sent the same day
If you have received Social Security benefits since before May 1997, or receive both Social Security and Supplemental Security Income, your payment schedule isn’t determined by your birthdate. Instead, payments are paid out every month on the same date with a couple of exceptions that I’ll explain here.
Social Security payments will be sent out on the 3rd of each month, while SSI payments are sent out on the 1st of each month. These dates will sometimes change if the 1st or the 3rd of the month falls on a weekend or holiday. For instance, March 3 of last year fell on a weekend, so Social Security recipients received their March payments two days early, on March 1.
The only benefits that are paid on the same schedule are Social Security and Social Security Disability Insurance.
Is your Social Security check missing? Try out these steps
If your check fails to show up when it’s supposed to or at all, the Social Security Administration suggests waiting for three additional mailing days before contacting it. After that, you can call the national toll-free number: 1-800-772-1213.
The SSA notes that “wait times to speak to a representative are typically shorter in the morning, later in the week and later in the month.” If you’re having trouble getting ahold of the SSA through the national number, you can use its office locator to find a local office to reach out to.
For more, see how to apply for Social Security benefits for eligible children and how to apply for Social Security Disability Insurance.
