Social Security checks are payments made to eligible recipients in the United States, including retired, disabled, survivors, and dependents. The amount and payment date of each check vary based on factors such as birthdate and average lifetime earnings. Disability benefits are also paid monthly based on average lifetime earnings.
A Social Security check is a type of check that a person receives because they are eligible for Social Security benefits. For example, in the United States, retired and disabled people may be eligible to receive cash benefits to help them meet the expenses of daily living. Survivors of deceased American retirees and dependents of those eligible for Social Security may also be eligible for cash benefits. It’s important to note that some recipients receive their money via direct deposit instead of paper checks, but may also refer to these deposits as Social Security checks.
Social Security benefit checks, including benefits paid by direct deposit, are generally paid each month; however, each check is actually a payment for the previous month’s benefits. For example, a social security check that a recipient receives in December is actually the benefit award for November. When a payee receives her check depends on her date of birth. A person born between the 1st and 10th of the month should receive their Social Security check on the second Wednesday of each month, while those born between the 11th and 20th of the month should be paid on the third Wednesday. Those with dates of birth between the 21st and 31st of the month must be paid on the fourth Wednesday.
The amount of each Social Security check also varies. For example, Social Security check amounts depend on an average of the monthly earnings a former worker earned over a period of up to 35 years. The Social Security Administration then applies a special formula, called the Primary Insurance Amount (PIA) formula, to the average to obtain a benefit award. This special formula considers general salaries throughout the country. Retired worker benefits also depend on whether the retired worker stopped working before normal retirement age. Benefits may be lower for workers who retired early and higher for those who retired after normal retirement age; The normal retirement age in the United States can change with each passing year.
Disability benefits are calculated differently. They are based on the average lifetime earnings of the disabled individual. Like retirement benefits, they are paid monthly.
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