Social Security Disability Payment Schedule
When you are unable to work because of a disability, Social Security disability benefits may become your primary source of income. The last thing you want to be doing is wondering each month when your Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payment will be available.
The disability payment schedule used by the Social Security Administration can be confusing, particularly when you are a new SSI or SSDI beneficiary. Here to remove some of the mystery from the payment process is information about the disability payment schedule, including factors that determine when you receive your payment. An important thing to keep in mind about the payment schedule and other matters related to your Social Security disability benefits is that help is available from a disability lawyer at Liner Legal.
Methods Social Security uses to stagger payments
You may be wondering why Social Security doesn’t simplify the process by paying everyone who is entitled to receive benefits on the same day of the month. Social Security has more than 70 million people eligible each month to receive SSI, SSDI and retirement benefits in addition to dependents who also may be entitled to monthly payments.
If you are eligible to receive disability payments through SSI, your payment is processed on the first day of each month except when the first of the month falls on a federal holiday or on a weekend. Your SSI payment will be processed on Friday when the first of the month is on a weekend. When the first of the month is on a federal holiday, and your payment is processed on the weekday immediately preceding the holiday.
Social Security retirement and SSDI payments use the date you were born to determine the day of the month Social Security processes and deposits your benefit payment to your bank account or adds it to the Direct Express debit card that you chose instead. Your SSDI payments will be processed as follows:
- Processing on the second Wednesday of each month when your birthdate is within the first 10 days of the month.
- Processing on the third Wednesday of the month if your birthday falls on the 11th through the 20th of the month.
- Processing on the fourth Wednesday if your date of birth is on the 21st through 31st of the month.
A slightly different method applies to people who began receiving Social Security retirement or SSDI benefits before May 1997. Their payments are processed on the third Wednesday of the month regardless of their date of birth.
There are two more exceptions to the birthday method of assigning a processing day. The first applies to beneficiaries receiving family benefits under the SSDI program who have their payments processed according to the date of birth of their family member whose earnings record is used to determine eligibility for benefits. For example, if the spouse of an eligible worker qualifies for family benefits, Social Security uses the birthdate of the worker and not that of the spouse to determine the date the family benefits payments are processed.
The second exception to the birthdate method for determining the day of the month to expect your SSDI payment to be processed occurs if you qualify for both SSI and SSDI benefits. If you do, then your SSI payments will be on the first of the month; however, your SSDI payments will process on the third of the month regardless of the day of the month on which you were born. An SSI or SSDI lawyer can help you to determine when to expect your disability benefit payments.
Sample Payment Schedules for 2023
The following is the payment schedule for 2023 for people eligible to receive both SSI and SSDI benefits with adjustments for weekends and federal holidays:
The following schedule applies to recipients of SSDI benefits born from the first to the tenth of the month:
If you were born on a different date of the month, an SSDI and SSI lawyer at Liner Legal will be happy to review the payment schedule that applies to your SSDI benefits or show you the date you can expect to receive SSI benefits in 2023.
Contact a disability lawyer
Whether you need answers to questions about the disability payment schedule that applies to you, need assistance with an application for benefits, or require legal representation to appeal a denial or reduction of benefits, an SSD lawyer at Liner Legal Disability Lawyers can help. Contact us today for a free consultation.
