The Social Security Administration runs the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program, which is an important part of the U.S. social safety net.
The goal of this program is to help people with little or no money and few means by giving them money. People with disabilities, blind people, and people aged 65 and up are generally the main beneficiaries.
As of July 2024, the most recent official figures showed that about 7.4 million people were getting SSI benefits, with an average monthly payment of almost $696. Many people depend on this program as their major or only source of income to meet their basic needs.
However, if you were one of these recipients, you may have noticed that the payment didn’t come on time in September. So, what did really happen?
Why wasn’t there a Social Security payment in September 2024?
There was no SSI payment in September 2024 because the Social Security Administration had to change their calendar. SSI funds are usually sent out on the first of every month. But if that date is a holiday or weekend, like it was in September, the payments are moved to the last work day before the holiday or weekend.
In this case, September 1, 2024, was a Sunday. Because of this, the funds were made on August 30. In other words, there wasn’t really a payment in September, but the people who were supposed to get the money had already gotten it in late August. It’s important to remember that the amount didn’t go down; the only thing that changed was when the payment was made.
Other months impacted by calendar changes
This kind of change doesn’t just happen in September. In fact, similar changes to schedules happen other times of the year when holidays or weekends get in the way of the normal payment schedule. In December 2024, one example will take place. As it was in September, December 1 is a Sunday. This means that SSI payouts will be made on November 29.
For another reason, the January payments will be late because January 1, 2025, is a holiday (New Year’s Day). On Tuesday, December 31, 2024, they will be given out. If you get SSI, you need to be aware of these changes to the calendar so you don’t get confused and know when your payment is due.
Social Security payment schedule for September
The calendar did have an effect on SSI benefits in September, but not all Social Security recipients had the same problem. Some benefits have different due dates based on your date of birth and the type of benefits you receive. Here is a list of when Social Security payments will be made in September 2024:
Recipients based on their birth date
- If your birthday falls between the 1st and 10th of September, you received your payment on September 11.
- If you were born between the 11th and 20th of September, your check arrived on September 18.
- If your birthday is between the 21st and 31st of September, you received your payment on September 25.
This staggered distribution helps manage the flow of payments more efficiently, ensuring that beneficiaries receive their checks without significant delays.
Update on the SSI application process
Along with changing the payment plan, the Social Security Administration is also making big changes to how people apply for SSI. They said that starting in December 2024, some applicants will be able to use a better online application method to make the process faster and easier.
The new method, called “iClaim expansion,” is meant to speed up a process that has been criticized for a long time for being too hard to understand and taking too long. This update will first be offered to people between the ages of 18 and 65 who are single and have never been married and are applying for both Social Security and SSI benefits at the same time. The plan is to use this method for all applicants in the long run.
Commissioner of Social Security Martin O’Malley stressed how important this change was, saying, “People who depend on this important safety net deserve a process that is smoother and less complicated than what we currently have.” We’re determined to make this dream come true in the next few years.