More than 64 million retired workers in the US get a monthly Social Security check to cover their costs. Some of them get paid on different days to avoid confusion.
The Social Security Administration says that the first retirees to get a cheque in December will be those who started getting benefits before May 1997.
No matter how old they are, these people will all get their monthly benefits on the same day. After this payment, the SSA will send three more payments to people who claimed their checks after that date, on the second, third, and fourth Wednesdays of each month.
Complete Social Security check schedule for December 2024
There are more than 72 million people who get money from Social Security, so the government had to make a monthly payment schedule so that everyone could see when their payments were due for each insurance or financial program.
Please see the official payment schedule or look at this list of upcoming dates for this month to learn more about the due dates.
- On December 3rd: For retirees, survivors, and disabled individuals who collected benefits before May 1997
- On December 11th: For retirees, survivors, and disabled individuals who collected benefits after May 1997 and who additionally were born between the 1st and the 10th
- On December 18th: For retirees, survivors, and disabled individuals who collected benefits after May 1997 and who additionally were born between the 11th and the 20th
- On December 24th: For retirees, survivors, and disabled individuals who collected benefits after May 1997 and who additionally were born between the 21st and the 31st
- On December 31st: For beneficiaries of the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program who will get their January benefits in advance.
It is important to remember that SSI recipients will be the first Americans to get a bigger Social Security check in 2025. This check will include the new 2.5% cost of living adjustment (COLA).
Because January 1 is a holiday, some beneficiaries will get their benefits on December 31. Other beneficiaries will start getting their bigger checks on January 3.
Also, remember that if your benefits do not arrive on the due date, you should wait at least three mailing days before calling customer service at the Social Security Administration or going to your My Social Security account to check on your payment.
How much money will retirees receive in their December Social Security check?
Seniors in the United States can get different amounts of money when they retire. It depends on when they started getting benefits or their full retirement age (FRA), how many Social Security credits they have, and how much they paid in Social Security taxes while they were working. Workers who have retired will get the following amounts of money based on these rules:
- $2,710 per month for those who claimed their first Social Security check before the full retirement age
- $3,822 per month for those who decided to claim benefits until reaching 67 years old
- $4,873 per month for those who delayed benefits until reaching 70 years old
After these payments are made, the next Social Security check they get will include the 2.5% cost of living adjustment (COLA). This means that American retirees will get the following amounts:
| Retirement benefits | Social Security checks | 2.57% COLA increase | 2.63% COLA increase |
| On average | $1,900 | $1,949 | $1,950 |
| Age 62 | $2,710 | $2,780 | $2,781 |
| Age 67 | $3,822 | $3,920 | $3,923 |
| Age 70 | $4,873 | $4,998 | $5,001 |
Besides retired workers, survivors, disabled people, and SSI recipients will get the following payment amounts:
| Survivor benefits (Plus 2.5%) | SSDI benefits (Plus 2.5%) | SSI benefits (Plus 2.5%) |
| 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 |
