Another round of Social Security payments will be made to millions of retirees this week—are you one of them?

Why It Matters

The Social Security Administration (SSA) distributes billions in benefits each month to nearly 70 million recipients, serving as a vital source of income for retirees nationwide. However, with such a large number of beneficiaries, payments are not issued on the same day for everyone. A recipient’s payment date is determined by their birth date or, in some cases, the length of time they have been receiving benefits.

What To Know

This week, Social Security payments will be made on Wednesday, March 19, and are for those claimants who have a birthday that falls between the 11th and 20th of any calendar month.

This payment date does not apply to beneficiaries who have either been claiming since before May 1997, or those who also receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Benefit payments for both of these groups were made earlier this month.

How Much Social Security Can I Get?

The amount of Social Security you can claim depends on various factors, such as the age at which you begin receiving benefits and your highest-earning working years. Benefits were also boosted across the board at the start of this year by 2.5 percent, thanks to the annual Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA), which raises benefits in line with inflation every year.

On its website, the SSA explains: “The maximum benefit depends on the age you retire. For example, if you retire at full retirement age in 2025, your maximum benefit would be $4,018.

“However, if you retire at age 62 in 2025, your maximum benefit would be $2,831. If you retire at age 70 in 2025, your maximum benefit would be $5,108.”

While these are the maximum amounts, your actual payment may vary based on your lifetime earnings and the number of years you have paid Social Security taxes. In January 2025, the average retirement check issued was $1,976.

If you do not receive your monthly payment on the expected date, the SSA recommends waiting three working days before contacting the agency. Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays are not considered working days.

What Happens Next

While still a while away, initial forecasts for the annual COLA predict benefits will increase by a smaller percentage than recent years in 2026.

The Senior Citizens League (TSCL) and independent Social Security and Medicare analyst Mary Johnson have both forecast the Social Security annual increase to drop by 0.3 percent, from 2.5 percent for benefits paid in 2025 to 2.2 percent for 2026. However, this is subject to change, with the official announcement being made in October.