Although millions of Social Security beneficiaries in the United States have already received their February 2025 payments, many Americans will have to wait a little longer for this month’s check.
According to the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) payment schedule, three groups of recipients have received their most recent benefits, with two remaining batches of February checks to be distributed in the next two weeks.
Who receives Social Security benefits in the U.S.?
The SSA’s chief Social Security schemes are aimed at: retired workers, disabled workers, surviving family members of deceased workers, and Americans who are signed up to the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program.
Retirement, disability and survivors’ benefits are contribution-based: the monthly amount issued to recipients of these three types of benefits depends on how much has been paid in Social Security taxes.
On the other hand, SSI – a scheme for people who have little or no income and are over 65 or have a disability – is needs-based and does not depend on payment of Social Security taxes.
How much do Social Security beneficiaries get?
Retired workers, who accounted for 68% of the 76 million Social Security beneficiaries in the United States as of January 2025, earn an average of $2,000 per month ($1,976, according to SSA data).
Disabled workers earn an average of $1,580 per month, while the surviving spouse of a deceased worker receives an average of $1,832. The maximum monthly check issued to a single SSI beneficiary is $967.
Who gets paid on February 19?
Most Social Security recipients will receive their February checks on one of three Wednesdays, as part of a staggered system that bases a beneficiary’s payment date on their birthday. Checks paid through this system began being distributed on Wednesday, February 12, to recipients born between the first and tenth of the month.
On Wednesday, February 19, it will be the turn of the beneficiaries born between the 11th and 20th of the month. Seven days later, checks will be sent to Americans born between the 21st and 31st of the month.
February 2025: staggered Wednesday payment schedule in full
- Weds, Feb. 12: Beneficiaries born between 1st and 10th of the month
- Weds, Feb. 19: Beneficiaries born between 11th and 20th of the month
- Weds, Feb. 26: Beneficiaries born between 21st and 31st of the month
Who else has already been paid their February Social Security check?
Some Social Security recipients receive their checks outside of the above time frame and have already been paid for February.
SSI recipients received cash at the end of January. Their checks are typically issued on the first of each month, but payment is moved up if the month begins on a weekend or holiday.
Because February 1 was a Saturday, the SSA issued the month’s SSI checks on Friday, January 31.
Meanwhile, retired workers, disabled workers, and survivors who began receiving Social Security benefits before May 1997 received payments on Monday, February 3. These recipients always receive their checks on the third of the month, regardless of their birth date.
