Within the Social Security Administration’s payment schedule, Supplemental Security Income is one of the most anticipated benefits for United States citizens. This check is a financial relief for thousands of low-income families.
Since the Supplemental Security Income benefit is for the neediest, it is normal for all recipients to worry about what the amount will be in the next month and when the check will arrive. Fortunately, knowing when we will get each of these payments is easy to do.
However, the increase in the amount does not occur every month, but only once a year. Even so, it is true that in the month of December we get two of these payments and one of them has a higher dollar figure. Why does this happen? Similarly, we get two checks in this month when it is customary to receive only one.
Timing irregularities force the Social Security Administration to pay two Supplemental Security Income checks in the month of December. So pay attention because there is a way to get this check early.
WHY IS THE EXTRA SUPPLEMENTAL SECURITY INCOME IN DECEMBER HIGHER?
The reason we will get the extra Supplemental Security Income in December is the same reason why the check is higher. This is all due to a calendar irregularity. The SSI payment is always on the 1st of each month, with some exceptions. In the case of January 2024 we have an exception.
January 1st is a holiday and the Social Security Administration does not send checks on holidays. For that reason, the Administration sends SSI in advance on the last business day prior to that 1st of January. And that day will be December 29th, the last business day of the year. And all SSI payments will be sent on that day, without exception.
Different is to get the payment on the same day or not. We must activate the fastest method to collect Supplemental Security Income on December 29th. And for the same reason we find ourselves with a larger check on that day. Since the payment actually pertains to January 2024 it carries next year’s COLA included. So the maximum payment will not be $914 as it is now but $943.
HOW CAN I COLLECT MY SOCIAL SECURITY SSI IN ADVANCE?
In order to get a check on the same day that the Social Security Administration sends it, it is necessary to activate Direct Deposit. Unlike the usual deposit to a bank account, this method is immediate, so the beneficiaries who activate it will be able to receive the check the same day the Social Security Administration sends it.
If this method of payment is not activated, the payment will be made within a few days after the check is sent. The average waiting time in these cases is three days, but everything will depend on our own bank. So we will simply have to wait a little longer.
Regardless of the collection method we use, this day’s payment will be higher than the December payment. So our December Supplemental Security Income payment will have 3.2% of the 2024 COLA added to it.