Some Social Security recipients won’t get benefit checks in September. Here’s why.

Millions of Social Security recipients won’t receive a benefit check this month due to a quirk of the calendar. The issue impacts people who receive Social Security’s Supplemental Security Income (SSI), a program for disabled adults as well as low-income seniors. 

The quirk isn’t a new development, as the Social Security Administration sets its annual payment schedule well in advance of the year (See here for the 2024 schedule and here for the 2025 payment dates.) But the lack of a payment this month could still come as a rude surprise to some beneficiaries who weren’t prepared for or aware of the shift in payment dates. 

Typically, SSI recipients receive their checks on the first of the month. But because September 1 fell on a Saturday this year, SSI payments for the month were sent on Friday, August 30. That means the next SSI checks will be deposited on Tuesday, October 1, with no deposits occurring in September. 

About 7.5 million people receive SSI benefits, with the maximum monthly benefit set at $943 per individual, according to Social Security data. By comparison, the average payment for Social Security retirement benefits is $1,907 per month.

Seniors who receive regular Social Security retirement benefits will receive their checks this month as usual. The pension system sends out its regular monthly checks based on the day of the month on which your birthday falls. 

For September, the payments will be deposited on the following dates:

• September 11: People born between the 1st and 10th of the month
• September 18: Those born between the 11th and the 20th of the month
• September 25: People with birth dates that fall between the 21st and the 31st

Supplemental Security Income application changes

Separately, the Social Security Administration said last week that it is overhauling its process for applying for Supplemental Security Income. 

The new system will start in December with an online application that streamlines the process, according to the agency’s statement. A simplified initial application, called the iClaim, will use plan-language questions and will pre-populate questions with answers where possible. The goal is to reduce the time and effort required to complete the form, as well as to speed up claims processing.

“People in our communities who need this crucial safety net deserve the dignity of an application process that is less burdensome and more accessible than what we now have, and we’re committed to achieving that vision over the next few years,” Martin O’Malley, commissioner of Social Security, said in a statement.

The initial rollout will be aimed at first-time applicants between 18 and 65 who have never married and are also concurrently applying for Social Security benefits and SSI, the agency said. The second phase of the rollout, scheduled for late 2025, will include all SSI applicants, it added.