Social Security is paid out on Friday, May 1: who gets benefits tomorrow?
Certain Social Security recipients are to get their next monthly payment tomorrow, as the Social Security Administration (SSA) kicks off its May benefits schedule.
Of the 71 million recipients of retirement, disability or survivor benefits in the U.S., most must wait until at least May 13 to pick up next month’s money. However, two groups of beneficiaries are paid as soon as May begins.
Who gets Social Security on Friday, May 1, 2026?
- Some long-term Social Security beneficiaries
Friday is May’s distribution date for beneficiaries who began receiving Social Security before May 1997.
These recipients are typically paid on the third of the month, but their latest round of benefits is to go out ahead of schedule as May 3 is a Sunday.
- Double beneficiaries (Social Security & SSI)
Social Security will likewise be paid out two days early to the 2.5 million Americans who combine the program with the Supplemental Security Income scheme (SSI).
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Who else is paid by the Social Security Administration on May 1?
- SSI recipients
May’s SSI payments also go out on Friday – in keeping with the benefit’s first-of-the-month distribution routine.
A program with over 7.3 million recipients, SSI is for low-income, low-resource individuals who are over-65 or have a disability.
Although both schemes are run by the SSA, SSI is separate to Social Security. It is, unlike Social Security, purely needs-based: eligibility for SSI does not depend on a recipient’s employment history.
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How much are monthly Social Security and SSI benefits?
- Social Security retirement: $2,024.77
- Social Security Disability Insurance: $1,493.07
- Social Security survivor benefits: $1,624.37
- SSI benefits: $736.28
(Average benefit amounts, per SSA stats.)
Extra SSI payments from states
Some SSI recipients can get additional benefits from their state. For more information on the states that offer this supplement, check out the SSA website.
How does the Social Security Administration pay benefits?
- Direct deposit
Social Security beneficiaries can update their bank details on the SSA’s my Social Security tool. SSI recipients should call 1-800-772-1213 or visit a Social Security office.
- Direct Express
SSI can be loaded onto the Direct Express Card, a special debit card for federal payments. Sign up at 1-800-333-1795 or 1-800-772-1213, or at a Social Security office.
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