More than 70 million people are waiting for the new increase in their Social Security checks for 2025 to be officially approved. The Social Security Administration says the new increase check will be sent out in January, just like it was in 2025.
The official cost of living adjustment (COLA) rise should be released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics next month.
This will set the levels of pay. The Senior Citizens League (TSCL) thinks that the COLA will go up by 2.73 to 3.2%, but we do not know the exact number.
Find out the new dates for your Social Security benefits for the coming year, if you are eligible, as well as the amounts that will be paid out to each beneficiary.
The first Social Security payment with the COLA increase will arrive this year
The government agency is in charge of making five sets of payments every month.
The first and third days of each month are when people who get Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Retirement, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (RSDI) get their first two payments.
Then, on the second, third, and fourth Wednesdays of each month, SSA gives RSDI recipients three more rounds of benefits, depending on when they were born.
People who get Supplemental Security Income (SSI) will get their first payment from Social Security on December 31. This payment will include the COLA increase.
Because January 1 is a federal holiday, the payment date will be moved to Tuesday, December 31st, which was the last business day before the holiday.
So, the cost of living adjustment (COLA) increase for 2025 will be part of the new Social Security payments that SSI recipients will get before anyone else in the country.
Please look at the table below to learn more about the dates when you will be guaranteed to get paid after the new increase:
| Social Security checks with COLA increase | Monthly benefits (2025) | Criteria to deliver monthly benefits |
| SSI benefits | No payments in January | Since January 1st is a holiday, recipients will get the first increased payment on December 31st. |
| Retirees, survivors, and disabled Americans (before May 1997) | January 3rd (Friday) | Payments can only be made to people who applied for Social Security before this date. |
| Retirees, survivors, and disabled Americans (after May 1997) | January 8th (Wednesday)
January 12th (Wednesday) January 22nd (Wednesday) |
Day of birth: 1st–10th.
Day of birth: 11th–20th. Day of birth: 21st–31st. |
How much money will beneficiaries earn with the new increased Social Security payment as of January 2025?
How much someone gets from Social Security depends on a number of factors, such as their age, work history, type of disability, and eligibility for the SSDI program.
Once a person is eligible for the program, the SSA will figure out how much to pay each month based on their unique situation. The cost of living adjustment (COLA) changes the value of the benefit every year. This helps people get it keep up with inflation.
Now that the new COLA for 2025 has been officially announced, the Social Security Administration can figure out how much money all beneficiaries will make with their checks going up by 2.5%.
This is how much people who get retirement, survivor, and disability insurance (RSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) will earn from January 2025 on, taking into account the 2.5% COLA increase and the different payment amounts for each program.
| Retirement benefits (Plus 2.5%) | Survivor benefits (Plus 2.5%) | SSDI benefits (Plus 2.5%) | SSI benefits (Plus 2.5%) |
| On average: $1,948
Age 62: $2,778 Age 67: $3,918 Age 70: $4,995 |
On average: $1,543
Individual: $1,817 2 Children: $3,744 |
On average: $1,575
Blind recipients: $2,655 Maximum payment: $3,918 |
On average: $715
Individuals: $967 Couples: $1,450 Essential person: $484 |
