Millions of Social Security beneficiaries in the US have been waiting for March 19, 2025, the third Wednesday. No wonder: on that day, they will receive their monthly payments in accordance with the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) schedule.
According to recent SSA data, there will be approximately 68 million Social Security beneficiaries in 2025. Based on survival rates and the average age in 1997, it is estimated that approximately 5% of beneficiaries who began before May 1997 are still receiving benefits, or approximately 3.2 million people. This leaves around 64.8 million who began in or after May 1997.
The three Social Security payments for March are already defined
Social Security payments are scheduled based on the beneficiary’s birth date and the start date of the benefit. Those who started receiving benefits before May 1997 get paid on the third of every month. Your payday is determined by your date of birth if you started in May 1997 or later.
As is done every month, the three groups will receive their payments according to the structure below:
- Second Wednesday (March 12) for birth dates from 1 to 10.
- Third Wednesday (March 19) for dates from the 11th to the 20th.
- Fourth Wednesday (March 26) for dates from the 21st to the 31st.
Therefore, the March 19, 2025 payment will be for beneficiaries who started on or after May 1997 and have birth dates between the 11th and the 20th. This includes retired workers, disabled workers, and survivors or dependents, such as spouses and children, who receive benefits based on a worker’s record.
The average monthly amount for all Social Security beneficiaries in 2025 is approximately $1,850, adjusted for a 2.5% cost of living increase (COLA). However, this average varies depending on the type of benefit:
- Retired workers: $1,976 per month.
- Disabled workers: $1,580 per month.
- Survivors: about $1,400 per month.
The maximum possible amount for a beneficiary is $5,108 per month, applicable to retired workers who retire at full retirement age with maximum earnings history, also adjusted for the 2.5% COLA valid for 2025.
The March 19, 2025 payments include various types of beneficiaries, all based on the registration of an insured worker
- Retired Workers: People who have reached retirement age (generally 66-67 years, depending on year of birth) and have contributed enough to Social Security.
- Disabled Workers: Individuals with disabilities that prevent work and meet work history requirements.
- Survivors: Spouses, children or dependents of a deceased worker, who receive benefits based on the worker’s record.
- Dependents: Spouses and children of retired or disabled workers, who may receive additional benefits, paid on the same day as the primary beneficiary.
Note that payments to dependents and survivors align with the primary worker’s payment date, based on their date of birth.
Some beneficiaries will receive more money this month
The recently enacted Social Security Fairness Act may result in increased payments for some eligible recipients. This law repeals the Wind Benefit Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO), affecting over 3.2 million people, including teachers, firefighters, and federal employees, whose benefits were previously reduced by pensions not covered by Social Security.
Although the exact impact for March 19, 2025 is unknown, some beneficiaries may receive retroactive payments or monthly increases beginning in April 2025, totaling thousands of dollars that were previously denied.
