April Social Security checks begin arriving on the third of the month and will continue through the 30th. When your first payment arrives depends on your birthday.
Beneficiaries who filed claims after May 1, 1997, and receive retirement, disability or survivor benefits are paid on either the second, third, or fourth Wednesday of the month. If you received benefits before May 1997, you also have a specific payment date. Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments are distributed monthly, usually on the first day of the month.
The Social Security Administration prepares its payment schedules well in advance of checks being sent out. This ensures you receive your payments on time. For April, the recent cost of living adjustment (COLA), implemented in January, is factored in.
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That means you should see a slight uptick in your monthly Social Security checks, which should have started in January. The 2.5% cost-of-living (COLA) increase added a little less than $50 to the average monthly benefit of about $1,900, according to the SSA. That’s down from a 3.2% COLA in 2024, but in line with the average 2.6% increase over the past two decades.
So, when will you see your April 2025 payments?
The April Social Security payment calendar
If you collect Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or retirement benefits, your benefit payment date is determined by your birthday. If you get auxiliary benefits on someone else’s earnings record, spousal or survivor benefits, for example, your payment date is determined by that person’s birthday, not yours.
April Social Security payment dates
These are the dates you can expect your monthly payments in March 2025:
- April 1: You should receive your Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payment on this date.
- April 3: If you get both SSI and Social Security, and if you initially claimed Social Security prior to May 1997, you should get your Social Security payment on this date.
- April 9: You should receive your Social Security payment on the 9th, the second Wednesday of the month, if your birthday is between the 1st and 10th of your birth month.
- April 16: You should receive your Social Security payment on the third Wednesday in April if your birthday is between the 11th and the 20th of your birth month.
- April 23: If your birthday falls after the 23rd of your birth month, you should get your Social Security payment on the fourth Wednesday in April.
Note: When the first day of the month falls on a weekend, your Social Security payment will go out on the last Friday of the previous month.
For a more detailed 2025 schedule, see our story, Social Security Payment Schedule for 2025
Bigger checks in April
For the first time in 2025, Social Security payments will follow their regular distribution schedule in April. And, for millions of recipients, the checks will be bigger than normal.
The SSA will start sending out bigger monthly checks in April thanks to the Social Security Fairness Act, a law signed in January, which eliminated the Government Pension Offset (GPO) and the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP), which were intended to prevent anyone with a pension from “double-dipping” on federal benefits. Payments have now been recalculated for certain recipients. Retroactive lump sums went out this past February with higher monthly payments starting in April.
People affected by the repeal of the WEP should, on average, notice a $360 increase in their monthly checks. Spouses affected by the GPO repeal should see a $700 increase and surviving spouses should get a $1,190 increase, on average. If you qualify, you don’t have to do anything as the adjustment should be automatic.
How to report a missing Social Security payment
If you don’t receive your electronic payments on the scheduled date, contact your bank or financial institution. Sometimes, the Social Security Administration experiences a delay in posting your payment.
If you still need help, call the Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) or contact your local Social Security office.
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