Why did i get extra social security money this month

Q: Is Social Security giving extra money this month?

And while you wont see a benefits increase on your check this month, you can expect a higher amount on your checks starting in 2023. Those who receive Supplemental Security Income will see their increase starting in December. Well explain why below and how the timing of Social Security payments works.

Millions of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients will get two payments in September, but this is due to the calendar — it is not a bonus payment.

Table of Contents Show

THE QUESTION
THE SOURCES
WHAT WE FOUND
Want something VERIFIED?
Why did I get an additional deposit from Social Security?
Is Social Security giving extra money this month?
Why did I get 2 Social Security checks this month?
Why did I get two Social Security checks this month March 2022?

Social Security was created in 1935 to pay retired workers age 65 or older a continuing income after retirement. Currently, 1 in 5 Americans receives a Social Security benefit from the U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).

Typically, these are set payments that come like clockwork each month. But VERIFY viewer Tom wants to know whether Social Security recipients will get a bonus payment next month.

THE QUESTION

Will Social Security recipients receive a bonus payment in September?

THE SOURCES

THE ANSWER

No, Social Security recipients will not receive a bonus payment in September.

Millions of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients will receive two payments in September, but it is not an extra payment. Instead, the second deposit is just the October payment a day early.

WHAT WE FOUND

Social Security payments are sent out on a strict schedule. Most retirees get their payments on the second, third or fourth Wednesday of each month, depending on their birth date.

But AARP says people who receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI), such as those who are blind, disabled, or at least 65 years old with very limited financial resources, typically get their payments on the first of the month. This can be a problem if the first falls on a weekend or federal holiday when banks are closed, like it does on Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022.

To combat this issue, SSI payments are sent out the next earliest business day. So this year, SSI recipients will get paid on Sept. 1 and Sept. 30. However, this is not a bonus payment for the month of September – SSI recipients are just getting their October payment one day earlier.

Earlier this year, SSI recipients received two payments in April. They are also set to receive two payments in December. The same schedule adjustment also applies to other Social Security payments if the date falls on a holiday, AARP says.

The VERIFY team works to separate fact from fiction so that you can understand what is true and false. Please consider subscribing to our daily newsletter, text alerts and our YouTube channel. You can also follow us on Snapchat, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok. Learn More »

Want something VERIFIED?

Text: 202-410-8808

Although Social Security Administration (SSA) can make incorrect payments to recipients of retirement, disability, or survivors’ benefits, these mistakes are rare. In the event that you receive an extra payment from SSA in addition to your usual monthly benefits payments, it can be helpful to know why and what you need to do about it, if anything.

As an initial matter, if you receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI), there is a good chance you are eligible for the stimulus payment currently being provided by the federal government. These payments are for a maximum of $600 per adult and qualifying child and have already started going out to those who are eligible. The payments will continue to be made through mid-January.

Unlike the stimulus payments made earlier in 2020, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has said that this round of payments will be sent the same way you get your other federal benefits. Therefore, if you normally get your monthly payments deposited directly into your bank account or onto a Direct Express debit card, that is also how you will receive your stimulus payments.

If your extra payment is not the result of federal stimulus funds, it could be that an automated process within SSA’s systems resulted in an adjustment that affected your benefit rate. Or, SSA realized that you have been underpaid in the past and needs to fix its mistake. These adjustments sometimes result in backpay that you are owed but did not receive previously. In these scenarios, SSA usually provides a standalone one-time payment rather than adding backpay incrementally to subsequent monthly benefits.

Within two weeks of your receipt of the additional payment, SSA should provide you written notice by mail with an explanation. If two weeks have passed since you received the extra benefits, contact SSA.

If you think that you were overpaid, call SSA right away to make sure it was not an accident. Failure to make SSA aware of an erroneous overpayment could result in months of incorrect payments that you will be responsible for paying back eventually.

You should also contact SSA immediately if you think you have been underpaid. Underpayments are usually the result of a clerical or computation error with respect to SSA’s record of your earnings history. SSA will investigate your case, and, if you are correct, the agency will compensate you for any underpayments either in a lump-sum payment or by increasing your monthly payments going forward.

The extra payment compensates those Social Security beneficiaries who were affected by the error for any shortfall they experienced between January 2000 and July 2001, when the payments will be made. Who was affected by the mistake? The mistake affected people who were eligible for Social Security before January 2000.

And while you won't see a benefits increase on your check this month, you can expect a higher amount on your checks starting in 2023. Those who receive Supplemental Security Income will see their increase starting in December. We'll explain why below and how the timing of Social Security payments works.

The most common reason someone might be receiving two Social Security payments in a single month is that they are receiving both Social Security Disability Insurance (SSD or SSDI) benefits and Supplement Security Income (SSI) benefits.

The second round of Social Security checks reflecting the new 5.9% cost of living adjustment went out this month, and recipients are now waiting on the third, coming in March. The COLA increase was the largest in nearly 40 years for those who qualify for the adjustment, and it could not come at a more welcome time.

extra social security money month