New and generous payments begin this week, beginning with the first of three groups of Social Security retirement beneficiaries, who can receive up to $5,108 in fiscal year 2025 if they meet the requirements.
Retirement benefits are divided into three groups and delivered on the second, third, and fourth Wednesdays of each month, and February is no exception; the first payment will be made this Wednesday.
When does the first of February’s Social Security benefits fall?
Your birthday appears to be the determining factor here. It’s not a horoscope, but the Social Security Administration (SSA), which organizes the deposits as follows:
- From the 1st to the 10th of any month: Your day is February 12.
- From the 11th to the 20th: Grit your teeth until February 19.
- From the 21st to the 31st: Patience, which arrives on February 26.
However, if you receive SSI (Supplemental Security Income) in addition to your retirement, you will not receive any benefits in February. This is because they delivered it to you ahead of schedule on January 31. In March, however, you are paid in advance to February 28 (which is technically March because the 1st falls on a Saturday).
The maximum SSI payment is $976 for a single beneficiary and $1,450 for a couple. The program can provide up to $484 to beneficiaries who need to pay for an essential help person.
Tricks and secrets to obtain the maximum Social Security in 2025
The SSA has a big check in store, up to $5,108, but it’s not for everyone. There are a number of requirements that the beneficiary should meet in order to get that juicy check. These are the three basic pillars to qualify for these benefits:
Delay retirement until age 70: I know it sounds like a punishment, but waiting is worth gold here. If you retire before your FRA (that magical age that varies depending on when you were born), they cut your monthly payment… forever.
35 years earning well (and stable): It’s not worth it with any salary. We are talking about reaching the taxable limit, which by 2025 will be $168,600 a year. In other words, it is not for people who earn the minimum.
40 work credits: translated, a minimum 10 years contributing (yes, paying taxes as God intended). If you are missing them, don’t even dream about it.
If you are already a beneficiary, these errors could leave you without your payment
The Social Security Administration does not mess around when it comes to ensuring that all of its beneficiaries legally comply with all requirements, and even if they have already granted them to you, certain actions may result in the termination of payments. Take note:
Earning more after retiring: Yes, working in old age is fine, but if you exceed the income limit that they set (and it changes every year), goodbye to part of your payment.
Lying on the application: If you make up your age, income, or disability, be prepared to pay back every penny. The SSA has accounting detectives who review cases at random. No cheating!
Improve health could also end your payments: Ironic, right? If you recover from a disability and the SSA believes you can work full-time, your benefits (such as SSDI) may be reduced. Be careful with medical reports.
Back to work may stop your Social Security checks: If you suspend your retirement to return to the office, payments are paused. But don’t worry: then you reactivate them (although recalculated and adjusted to accumulated inflation, of course).
