SSI Payment Schedule: Deposit Dates for This Month

If you are disabled and unable to work, you may struggle financially. If so, that’s understandable. Being unable to work doesn’t mean the bills stop arriving – and that’s stressful. If you find yourself in this situation, you may be considering a claim for disability benefits, or you may already be receiving them. Regardless of where you find yourself in the process of pursuing benefits, you may wonder when those benefits will be deposited each month. Let’s take a closer look at the law together.

What Types of Benefits Are Available?

The Social Security Administration offers two types of benefits to disabled individuals, depending upon their particular circumstances. These include Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits. These benefits have important commonalities and essential differences.

First and most importantly, to receive either type of benefit, an applicant must meet two criteria:

• A qualifying medical condition: The applicant must have a medical condition recognized by the Social Security Administration as a legitimate medical disability. To make this determination, the Social Security Administration will often consult its Blue Book, which lists various impairments and their accompanying symptoms. Those who do not have a condition in the Blue Book should not panic but may need to provide additional medical proof to substantiate their condition.
• The qualifying medical condition has rendered the individual disabled for one continuous calendar year or more. This requirement is fairly self-explanatory. Those individuals who have a disability that lasts for a shorter term than a year may be able to pursue short-term disability benefits or disability benefits from some other source but generally will not be able to pursue disability benefits from the Social Security Administration.

SSDI and SSI benefits share those two things in common but also have important differences.

First, SSDI benefits are intended for individuals who are “insured.” This means that they worked at a job for a sufficient length of time and regularly paid taxes into the Social Security system from their wages. To receive SSI benefits, by contrast, an applicant does not need to be “insured” but does need to have income and resources below a certain annual limit established by the Social Security Administration. The two types of benefits also have different payment schedules. Let’s take a closer look at each.

What Are the Payment Schedules?

Typically, SSI payments arrive on the first business day of each month. Sometimes, however, holidays and weekends can affect a payment. In these instances, the payment will typically be made on the business day preceding the holiday or weekend. For example, if the Fourth of July falls on a Friday, payment may be made on Thursday, July 3.

Unlike SSI, SSDI benefits are typically paid on a schedule based on an individual’s birthdate. As a general rule:

• Those with a birthdate between the 1st and 10th of the month will receive their payment on the second Wednesday of the month.
• Those with a birthdate between the 11th and 20th of the month will receive their payment on the third Wednesday of the month.
• Those with birth dates between the 21st and 31st of the month will receive their payment on the fourth Wednesday of the month.

While these are the general payment schedules, consulting with an attorney regarding your particular situation is always advised.

How Will Payment Be Made?

While it used to be the norm for most recipients to receive a literal check in the mail from the Social Security Administration, this is no longer the case for most individuals. While receiving a check is still an option, most recipients opt to have their benefits directly deposited into their account. If this is the case, payments will typically be made at 12:01 AM on the scheduled payment date.

While this is generally true, it’s essential to remember that the actual time the money becomes available may vary depending on your bank’s processing time. Most banks make direct deposits available for withdrawal and use by the start of the business day the deposit is made, although the particular procedures at your bank could be different. Consulting with your bank and attorney regarding your specific payment process is always advised.

Call Disability Experts Today

At Disability Experts, we know that struggling with a disability can be difficult in many ways. The last thing you need is to worry and wonder about when you’ll receive the benefits you depend on for financial stability. That’s why we’re here to help. Wherever you find yourself in the process of seeking or retaining benefits, we’ll meet you there and help you move forward. We know and understand every aspect of the law pertaining to disability benefits, and we’ll always pursue the best legal strategies on your behalf. If you’re ready to get started, give us a call today. We look forward to speaking with you soon.