Social Security Payment Schedule 2023: August 2023 Checks, Payment Dates, and Amounts

Submitted by Elizabeth on Mon, 07/24/2023 - 12:57

People that are receiving Social Security disability, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), or another type of benefit from the Social Security Administration in 2023 need to know when they can expect to receive that benefit money. Knowing when that money will arrive is essential so that you can budget your money and make sure that you pay your bills on time. If you don’t know when that money is coming, you will not be able to plan ahead accordingly.

The 2023 Social Security schedule can be confusing. However, once you understand how Social Security payments work, it’s easy to figure out when to expect your Social Security disability benefits in August 2023.

For September's payment dates, see our blog: Social Security Schedule 2023: Exact Mailing Dates for September 2023

Overview of the Social Security Payment Schedule 2023

The Social Security Administration (SSA) has a set schedule for releasing benefit payments. The time of the month when your benefit will be sent out or deposited in your account depends on (1) the type of benefit you get, and (2) when your birthday is.

Anyone receiving SSI for themselves or on behalf of a child should receive their SSI payments on the first day of the month. Sometimes, the payment may be deposited on the last day of the preceding month—dependent on how the days fall on the calendar that month. When the first day of the new month falls on a weekend, the benefit checks will be sent out in a way that ensures adequate time for them to arrive on the Friday before the first day of that new month.

People who are receiving Social Security retirement benefits or disability benefits who started receiving them before May of 1997 will receive their benefits on the 3rd of the month. Anyone who is receiving any other type of Social Security benefit will receive the money on the following August dates—dependent on their birthdate.

Social Security benefit recipients who have their birthday between August 1st and August 10th, will receive their checks on August 9th.
Social Security benefit recipients who have their birthday between August 11th and August 20th, will receive their checks on August 16th.
Social Security benefit recipients who have their birthday between August 21st and August 31st, will receive their checks on August 23rd.

All other people receiving any type of benefit from the Social Security Administration will receive their benefits based on their birthdate.

Retirees who are getting retirement benefits from the SSA will have their checks sent out on the second Wednesday of August if they have a birthdate between August 1st and August 10th. Those whose birthday falls between August 11th and August 20th will have their checks sent out by the SSA on the third Wednesday of August. And, finally, Social Security benefits checks for retirees with a birthdate between August 21st and August 31st will be sent out on the fourth Wednesday of August.

Social Security Payments Amounts: How Much Money Will Be Sent Out In August 2023?

In 2023, the Social Security Administration implemented an 8.7% cost-of-living-adjustment (COLA), so the amount of benefits that people will receive in August 2023 will be more than it was in August 2022.

Retiree Benefits. The average Social Security retiree benefit is about $1,827. Anyone that retired at 62 can get up to $2,572 in benefits per month. People who waited to draw Social Security retirement benefits until the maximum age of 67, can get up to $3,627 each month. And finally, for those who wait until they are 70 to draw their Social Security retiree benefit, they may be able to receive up to $4,555 per month.

SSI Recipients. Anyone that is receiving SSI for themselves, or for their child, can receive up to $914 in SSI benefits per month. The average SSI benefit is around $600. However, for married couples in which both partners receive SSI benefits each month, they are able to receive up to $1,371 per month.

How much money you receive as your Social Security benefit for August 2023 is dependent on your unique situation. Nonetheless, the 2023 cost-of-living-adjustment will likely mean that almost everyone that receives Social Security benefits will have a higher benefit payment amount in August 2023 compared to August 2022.

Social Security Payment Dates in August 2023

Anyone that is currently receiving SSI payments in August 2023 should expect to receive their check on Tuesday, August 1. And, for people receiving other types of Social Security benefits, they can expect to receive their benefits according to this schedule:

If you are receiving SSI, your June 2023 SSI benefit check should have arrived on Thursday, June 1, and your July benefit check should have arrived on Friday, June 30 (because July 1st was a Saturday). However, for August 2023, SSI beneficiaries should expect to receive their SSI checks on one of the following three dates—depending on your birthday:

If your birthday falls on the 1st through the 10th of August, you should expect your SSI check to arrive on Wednesday, August 9th.
If your birthday falls on the 11th through the 20th of August, you should expect your SSI check to arrive on Wednesday, August 16th.
If your birthday falls on the 21st through the 31st of August, you should expect your SSI check to arrive on Wednesday, August 23rd.

Factors That Affect Social Security Payment Dates

There are several factors that can impact Social Security payment dates in August. When the SSA sends out paper checks, they assume the checks will arrive on the anticipated date based on the SSA’s 2023 payment schedule. But, sometimes outside factors impact when the checks actually arrive. Some of the factors that can cause checks to arrive early or late are:

Weather. Extreme weather like blizzards, hurricanes, tornadoes, flooding, or extreme heat can make Social Security benefit checks arrive late.
Postal Delays. Postal slowdowns and delays can mean that checks anywhere from one day late to several days late. In August, checks may be delayed if there is a UPS strike. This is because, if UPS workers strike, it will mean that there will be an increase in the amount of mail going through the United States Postal Service (USPS) which could result in arrival delays for Social Security benefit checks.
Weekends And Holidays. Holidays and weekends can also mean postal delays that can impact the arrival of benefit checks.

How You Can Get Your Social Security Payments Faster

The best way for you to make sure that your Social Security benefits arrive on a certain—or the same—day each month is to sign up for a direct deposit of your Social Security benefits. If you sign up for direct deposit of benefits, you can count on your benefits being available on the same day each month. That will make it easier to budget and pay your bills on time. Direct deposit is strongly recommended for Social Security benefits.

If you don’t have a bank account where you can set up direct deposit of benefits, you can choose to sign up for the SSA’s debit card program. The SSA will issue you a debit card that can be used like a credit card. Your benefits are electronically loaded on this card each month.

My Payment Hasn’t Arrived Yet… What Should I Do?

Direct deposit is the most reliable way to receive benefits.

If you have direct deposit of your Social Security benefits, and your benefits are not deposited on the day they are supposed to be, you should contact the SSA right away. However, if you receive paper checks from the SSA each month, you should wait a couple of days for your check to arrive before contacting the SSA. This is because, if your paper check is late, there’s a good chance it’s due to a postal slowdown. That being said, if your paper check does not arrive within three days of the day it was supposed to arrive, then you should certainly contact the SSA.

Conclusion

Understanding the Social Security Administration’s benefit payment schedule gives people who rely on Social Security benefits the peace of mind of knowing when they will be receiving money each month. When you know when to expect those benefits, you can confidently budget your money each month and ensure that you get your bills paid on time.

More Payment Date Information By Month for the Rest of 2023:

Additional Resources

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