SSI Payment Schedule Before The 2025 COLA Increase – Checks Of Up To $1,415

SSI (Supplemental Security Income) recipients can expect a 2.5% increase in payments, just like other Social Security beneficiaries. However, they will not see the COLA (Cost-of-Living Adjustment) increase in November. Let’s look into why and what it means for SSI recipients this year.

Payment

The Social Security Administration (SSA) ensures that SSI recipients typically receive their payments on the first day of each month. For November, that date is set for November 1, 2024, and there will be no changes in this schedule.

However, when the first of the month falls on a weekend or holiday, the payment is sent out earlier. For instance, since December 1, 2024, falls on a Sunday, the December SSI payment will arrive early, specifically on November 29, 2024. This means that recipients will receive two payments in November: one for November and one for December.

No COLA

Despite the 2.5% increase for 2024, SSI recipients will not receive the COLA adjustment in November. The COLA increase, designed to account for inflation, will be reflected in the January 2025 payment. The reason for this delay is straightforward: COLA adjustments begin in January, and while the SSI payment for January is scheduled for December 31, 2024, that’s when the new COLA will apply.

So, while recipients get two payments in November, neither will include the COLA increase. The raise will officially take effect at the end of the year.

Payments

To clear any confusion, it’s important to note that the December 2024 SSI payment will be issued on November 29, 2024. Then, SSI recipients will see another check on December 31, 2024, for January’s payment, which will include the 2025 COLA.

For SSI recipients, this effectively means that the new COLA-adjusted payment comes a day before January 1, 2025. The increase will amount to about $23 more per month for individual recipients, totaling around $276 more annually. Married couples will see an increase of about $35 per month, or $420 annually.

Payment Date	Reason
November 1, 2024	Regular November SSI payment
November 29, 2024	Early payment for December (due to Sunday)
December 31, 2024	January 2025 SSI with COLA increase

Eligibility

SSI is designed to help individuals who have limited income and resources. To qualify, a person must meet certain conditions:

• Low income and few resources
• Be a U.S. citizen, national, or qualifying non-citizen
• Be 65 or older, or
• Be blind or have a qualifying disability

This federal assistance ensures that those who are most in need have access to financial support.

Impact

The COLA is designed to help SSI recipients keep pace with inflation, which affects essential expenses like housing, food, and healthcare. For 2025, individuals will see a modest increase of around $23 per month, and married couples could get up to $1,450 per month, which is an increase of $35. Over the course of a year, that adds up to $276 and $420 more, respectively, for individuals and couples.

These adjustments may seem small, but for low-income Americans, every bit helps to ease the burden of rising living costs.

The next time SSI recipients will feel the impact of COLA will be when they receive their January payment on December 31, 2024, marking the start of higher benefits for the coming year.

In summary, while SSI recipients won’t see the COLA increase in November, they can expect two payments that month. The long-awaited COLA boost will arrive at the end of December, ensuring that recipients start 2025 with a slightly higher monthly benefit.

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