2025 COLA Announcement – Aged Couples Receiving Social Security Benefits Will Receive $3,089

Millions of retirees are looking forward to 2025, especially with the 2.5% Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) that will boost Social Security payments. Even though the increase will only take effect starting January 2025, beneficiaries can already check their future amounts online through the Social Security Administration (SSA) portal.

If you’re wondering when you and your spouse will receive the updated retirement benefit payments, here’s a detailed breakdown of the payment schedule and what to expect with the COLA increase.

COLA

As of January 2024, couples who were both receiving Social Security benefits received an estimated average check of $3,014 per month. After the 2024 COLA adjustment, which was a 3.2% increase, that amount went up slightly.

For 2025, the COLA increase is set at 2.5%, which means couples who both qualify for Social Security will receive an average of $3,089 starting January. While this is slightly lower than the 2024 increase, it will still provide a noticeable financial boost, especially for those on fixed incomes.

Payment

The SSA will issue notices in December 2024 to inform all Social Security recipients of their exact benefit amounts after the COLA increase. These notices will be sent out in the mail, but retirees can also view the updated amounts through their my Social Security account online.

By checking your account in December, you can get a clear picture of what your new payment will be before it arrives in January.

Who Qualifies

To qualify for Social Security benefits, you and your spouse need to meet certain criteria. Both of you must have worked for at least 10 years and earned enough work credits. If you’re at least 62 years old, you’re eligible to begin receiving benefits, although waiting longer until full retirement age or beyond can increase your monthly checks.

In some cases, one spouse may qualify for spousal benefits on the other’s work record, even if they did not work the required 10 years. This option allows one partner to receive a percentage of the other spouse’s Social Security.

Payment Schedule

If you’re retired and eligible for Social Security, you might be wondering when you’ll receive your first 2025 payment that includes the COLA increase. According to the SSA, all retirement benefit payments with the updated amounts will be sent out starting January 3, 2025.

Here’s how the payment schedule breaks down:

• January 3, 2025: You will receive your payment on this date if:
  • You started receiving Social Security before May 1997, or
  • You are collecting both Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments.

If you don’t qualify for the January 3rd payment, you will receive your check on one of the following dates based on your birthday:

• January 8, 2025: If your birthday falls between the 1st and 10th of any month.
• January 15, 2025: If your birthday falls between the 11th and 20th.
• January 22, 2025: If your birthday falls between the 21st and 31st.

These Wednesday payment dates are determined by your birth date, and this schedule will continue throughout 2025.

Date	Eligibility
January 3, 2025	Recipients before May 1997 or SSI recipients
January 8, 2025	Born from 1st to 10th
January 15, 2025	Born from 11th to 20th
January 22, 2025	Born from 21st to 31st

Significant

While the COLA increase may not seem huge, every additional dollar helps when you’re on a fixed income. Checking your my Social Security account regularly and staying updated with SSA announcements will ensure you’re aware of any future changes to your benefits.

The SSA also recommends that retirees keep their information up-to-date with the agency to avoid delays in payment processing.

In summary, eligible married couples can expect their Social Security payments to increase to about $3,089 on average in 2025, thanks to the 2.5% COLA. Payments will start rolling out from January 3, 2025, with notices being sent in December to confirm the new amounts.

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