December often means extra holiday expenses, so people who are relying on Social Security benefit payments need to know when to expect their December 2024 Social Security benefit payments.
Knowing when you will be receiving your monthly benefit from the SSA in December will make it easier to plan for those holiday expenses, pay bills, and get the essentials that you need to get through the month.
Knowing the Social Security 2024 Social Security payment schedule will help you stretch your dollars further and budget your money.
Just remember that December is the last month of the year, and the SSA’s COLA increase for 2025 will start with your January, 2025 benefit payment. So you will receive more benefit money in January than you do in December, 2024.
Types of Social Security Benefits
The date that you should receive your Social Security benefit each month depends on what type of benefits you receive as well as what your date of birth is.
There are several different types of Social Security benefits that are available. You may be receiving one type of benefit or more than one, depending on your unique circumstances.
Types of Social Security benefits that you could receive are:
Retirement Benefits
When you have retired from work and you have reached the minimum age of 62 you can start receiving Social Security retirement benefits.
To qualify for retirement benefits you must have worked for at least 10 years, and you must have earned at least 40 work credits.
Work credits are a requirement for anyone applying for Social Security retirement benefits, unless you were a stay-at-home spouse.
If you were a stay-at-home spouse and never worked, but your spouse did, you can claim Social Security retirement benefits through your spouse as long as your spouse earned the minimum required 40 work credits.
If you’re ready to retire early, you can start claiming your Social Security retirement at the age of 62. But if you wait longer, you will receive a higher benefit amount, so it’s recommended that you wait as long as possible to draw those benefits.
If you wait until the maximum age of 70, to start claiming benefits you can receive the maximum retirement benefit. If you apply for retirement benefits anytime between ages 62-69 you will only receive a portion of the maximum benefit payment.
So, it pays to wait, if you can. Remember that you can apply for Social Security disability benefits if you can’t work but don’t want to claim your retirement benefits until you hit the maximum age.
Disability Benefits (SSDI)
Anyone who has worked but can’t work any longer because of an illness or injury can claim SSDI.
The application process for SSDI can take several months to a year, but when your application is approved you will receive backpay for all the months that you had to wait for approval.
If you want to increase the chances of getting your application for SSDI approved on the first you should make sure that all the forms are filled out correctly.
You also should include as much medical evidence that proves your disability as you can get. Working with a Social Security disability attorney can be a big help avoiding the most common SSDI application mistakes.
Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
Anyone that has had a disability since childhood and has never worked because of it can apply for SSI instead of SSDI.
SSI can also be paid to the low-income parents of a child with a disability. SSI must be used for the child’s expenses but can help parents who are struggling cover extra costs related to their child’s disability.
Parents that apply for SSI for a child must submit W-2s, tax returns, or other financial proof showing the income of each adult in the household that works full-time.
The total income for the household must be below the cap set by the SSA or your application will be denied.
If the application is approved, you will need to keep documentation showing how the SSI money is spent to prove that it’s being spent on the child’s living or medical expenses.
Survivor Benefits
If you’re a surviving spouse and your spouse was the earner in the household it can be very scary to think about how you’re going to get by.
But you can apply for survivor benefits that will help pay for living expenses when your spouse isn’t there anymore.
Children can receive survivor benefits if they are under 18, or over 19 and still in high school, or if they are an adult that was disabled before they turned 22.
Adopted children and stepchildren qualify for survivor benefits too.
If you are disabled and you lost your spouse, you can receive survivor’s benefits starting at 50. Spouses who are 60 or older and not disabled can also qualify for survivor benefits.
If a deceased worker’s parents are elderly and dependent on the worker for 50% or more of their income, they can also qualify for survivor benefits.
Overview of Social Security Payment Schedule 2024
The 2024 Social Security payment schedule tells you which Wednesday you will receive your benefit payments.
Most benefits from the SSA are paid on Wednesdays throughout the month. The Wednesday that you receive your benefits is based on your birth date. All Social Security benefits except SSI are paid on the Wednesday schedule.
SSI is the only benefit that isn’t paid on a Wednesday. If you are receiving SSI for yourself or a child, you will always receive SSI at the beginning of the month, or the last date of the month if the first day of the month falls on a weekend or holiday, regardless of your birthdate or the child’s birthdate.
Social Security Benefit Payment Dates for December 2024
Social Security benefit payment dates for December 2024 fall on:
Everyone that receives Social Security benefits will receive their December 2024 Social Security payment on one of those dates, depending on the date of birth for the person receiving the benefits.
If you are receiving SSI you will get two payments in December 2024. You will receive your December 2024 SSI payment on Friday, November 29th. That’s because December 1st is a Sunday. So, the benefit is paid on the Friday before the 1st, which is November 29th.
There will be a second SSI payment in December, 2024. The January, 2025 SSI payment will be paid on Tuesday, December 31st because January 1st is a Federal holiday.
People that are receiving other types of Social Security benefits will receive their December 2024 Social Security benefits on these dates:
- Wednesday, December 11th – If your birthdate is the 1st-10th of the month.
- Wednesday, December 18th- If your birthdate is the 11th-20th of the month.
- Tuesday, December 24th If your birthdate is 21st -31st of the month. Benefits will be paid on Tuesday, December 24th because Wednesday, December 25th is Christmas Day, a Federal holiday.
You can always check your MySSA account page by logging into MySSA to see when your December 2024 Social Security benefit payment is arriving and how much your benefit payment is.
Will There Be An Extra Social Security Benefit Payment In December?
There is an extra Social Security benefit payment in December 2024 for anyone that is receiving SSI.
SSI is always paid on the first of the month, except when the first falls on a weekend or holiday. Because January 1st is a Federal holiday, anyone that receives SSI will get their January, 2025 payment on Tuesday, December 31st. The SSI payment on December 31st will also be a higher amount, because of the SSA’s COLA increase that takes effect on January 1st, 2025.
Payment Methods
The SSA distributes all benefits electronically now. You have two options for electronic payments from the SSA.
You can have your Social Security benefit payment deposited directly into your checking or savings account each month. This is an easy and free option if you have a bank account.
Some banks may hold deposits for a day or two, which could mean that even when your benefits have been deposited you can’t actually use them. Check with your bank to see if your benefit payment is subject to a hold.
Your second option is to sign up for a Direct Express debit card from the SSA. If you sign up for a Direct Express card your funds will be available on your Direct Express card on your scheduled payment date.
You can use the card like a debit or credit card to withdraw cash or pay for purchases. You can sign up for a Direct Express card through your MySSA account on the SSA’s website.
Important Considerations
Your December 2024 Social Security benefit payment will be the last payment at your current rate. Starting in January of 2025 you will see a 2.5% increase in your Social Security benefit amount.
If you have questions about what date your Social Security benefit payment will be deposited into your account or onto your Direct Express card you can always check your account on the SSA’s website. You can also call or email the SSA directly and ask about your payment date.
Managing Your Benefits
It can be very difficult to stretch your Social Security benefits to cover all of your bills and expenses.
Groceries, utilities, and other necessities get more expensive every year, and you must be good at budgeting your benefits to get by. Some recommended ways to make the most of your Social Security benefits are:
- Keep your pantry stocked with essential ingredients that you can use to cook meals from scratch. By the end of the month if those benefits are running out, you can use those essentials and leftovers to make meals.
- Put your bills on autopay so that you don’t have to worry about bills not getting paid on time. Not paying bills on time can hurt your credit.
- Use coupons and shop sales to make the most of your grocery money. Consider having potluck meals with friends and neighbors to make your food dollars stretch.
- Get on budget billing plans for your utilities. That way you will know exactly how much money to budget for your utility bills each month.
There are lots of online tools and resources that can help you find new ways to manage your monthly benefit payment effectively.
You can join groups on Facebook and other social media where people share tips on everything from cooking to covering household emergencies when you are receiving only one payment per month.
Conclusion
People that are receiving Social Security benefits can count on receiving their benefits on set days of the month. Knowing the 2024 Social Security payment schedule will make it much easier to manage your money.
You should always receive your 2024 SSI payment on the 1st of the month, or the Friday before the first if the first falls on a weekend or holiday.
You will receive two SSI payments for December 2024, one on November 29th, and one on December 31st. Remember that the SSI you receive on December 31st will have a 2.5% increase.
If you aren’t sure when you should be receiving your December 2024 Social Security benefit payment, or if you’re not sure what your Social Security benefit payment date is you can always check your MySSA account on the SSA’s website. The date of your payment and the amount you receive should be visible in your account.
If you are disabled but haven’t applied for SSDI yet don’t wait to apply. It can take some time for the application to get reviewed so get it in as soon as you can. Working with a disability attorney is a good way to make the process easier.
A disability attorney can help you understand the application process, how to fill out the application documents, and advise you what documentation you need to include with your application to increase the chances of approval.
Disability attorneys don’t get paid until your application is approved. And their fee is paid by the SSA directly, so you don’t ever have to pay out of pocket or up front.
Fill out a Free Case Evaluation now to get connected with a participating disability attorney who can answer your questions and help you start your application for Social Security benefits.
Sources:
- https://www.investopedia.com/social-security-payment-schedule-5213627
- https://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10031-2024.pdf
- https://www.ssa.gov/pubs/calendar.htm
- https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/investing/social-security/social-sec…
- https://finance.yahoo.com/news/social-security-payment-schedule-2023-14…
- https://www.ssa.gov/kc/rp_paybenefits.htm
