Social Security payments up to $5,108 arriving May 2: Who qualifies?
The Social Security Administration (SSA) will begin issuing May 2025 payments to millions of retirees and beneficiaries this week. Payments are scheduled to start on Friday, May 2, offering crucial support to older Americans who rely on monthly benefits for financial stability.
The amount of a Social Security check depends on how much the individual earned during their working years and the age at which they chose to claim benefits.
How much can beneficiaries receive?
Social Security benefits are designed to replace a portion of a worker’s pre-retirement income, but amounts vary widely:
- Retiring at age 62 yields an average monthly payment of $2,831.
- Waiting until full retirement age (67) increases the average payment to $3,822.
- Delaying until age 70 provides the maximum benefit of $5,108 per month.
This system rewards those who delay retirement, strengthening the program’s long-term sustainability by encouraging later retirement when possible.
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) updates
In addition to retirement benefits, the SSA manages the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program. SSI assists low-income older people, adults, and children with disabilities.
For 2025, the maximum SSI benefits are:
- $967 per month for individual filers.
- $1,450 for couples filing jointly.
- $484 for essential persons providing caregiving assistance.
These amounts can vary based on income, living arrangements, and other factors.
May 2025 Social Security payment schedule
The first group to receive payments on May 2 includes retirees who started collecting benefits before May 1997. Because May 3 falls on a weekend, the SSA will issue their checks one day earlier.
Other beneficiaries will receive their payments based on their birth dates:
- Birthdays 1–10: Second Wednesday of May.
- Birthdays 11–20: Third Wednesday of May.
- Birthdays 21–31: Fourth Wednesday of May.
This staggered distribution helps prevent system overload and ensures smoother payment processing.
How to track your Social Security payment
Beneficiaries can monitor payment status through the mySocialSecurity portal, where they can view deposit dates, update personal information, and check benefit amounts.
If your payment is delayed beyond the expected date, the SSA recommends waiting three business days before contacting them for assistance.