Social Security: Payments of Up to $5,181 Coming This Week
Millions of Americans who receive Social Security are set to get their monthly benefits this week.
More than 70 million people across the U.S. rely on Social Security as an essential source of income, including retirement, disability and survivor payments. Since the program supports such a large population, the Social Security Administration (SSA) distributes benefits on a staggered timetable each month instead of issuing payments all at once.
This week, payments will be made to two groups: Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients and some older retirement benefit recipients.
SSI is designed to help older Americans—along with people who are blind or living with disabilities, including children—meet basic everyday expenses, such as housing, food and clothing. SSI benefits are paid monthly, with the amount depending on each recipient’s financial situation.
When Are Payments Coming?
This week, on May 1, Social Security payments are scheduled to be made to those who have been collecting retirement benefits since before May 1997.
SSI payments are set to be issued on the same date. If you collect both SSI and Social Security, you will also receive your Social Security payment on Friday.
If a payment does not arrive as scheduled, recipients should allow up to three additional business days before contacting the SSA.
Further Payment Dates for May 2026
Payments for other groups of recipients are scheduled to be made throughout the month:
- Wednesday, May 13: Those with birth dates between the 1st and 10th of any month
- Wednesday, May 20: Those with birth dates between the 11th and 20th of any month
- Wednesday, May 27: Those with birth dates between the 21st and 31st of any month
How Much Is Social Security?
Monthly retirement benefits differ significantly depending on a person’s lifetime income, the age they start claiming benefits and the year payments begin. To be eligible, workers generally need 40 Social Security credits, and since no more than four credits can be earned per year, most people qualify after roughly a decade of work.
For higher earners, the timing of when benefits are claimed can make a major difference. A worker who earned the maximum taxable amount each year starting at age 22 and began collecting benefits in 2026 would receive about $4,152 per month at full retirement age. Claiming at 62 would reduce that amount to roughly $2,969 per month, while delaying benefits until age 70 would increase it to about $5,181 per month.
Most retirees receive considerably less than the maximum benefit. As of December, the average monthly Social Security payment for a retired worker stood at $2,071.30.
In 2026, the highest possible monthly SSI benefit is $994 for an individual and $1,491 for couples. However, many recipients receive less than that amount because payments are adjusted based on factors such as income and living arrangements. At present, the average monthly SSI payment is $735.91.
Latest Social Security News
Changes at the SSA under the Trump administration have created “customer service chaos” for millions of older Americans and people with disabilities who depend on the agency, according to a report Democratic senators released last week.
The investigation alleged that waiting times for phone services were often 10 times longer than the agency reported on its website, if their calls were answered at all.
The reported increase in delays follows the Trump administration’s decision to cut more than 7,000 jobs at the SSA in 2025, which the report said resulted in severe disruptions to services for beneficiaries.
A spokesperson for the SSA told The Guardian that the report served only “the purpose of scaring America’s seniors and most vulnerable who rely on Social Security,” adding that lawmakers refused “to acknowledge the significant customer service improvements occurring at SSA under Commissioner [Frank] Bisignano’s leadership.”