Although it is customary for United States beneficiaries with a Social Security check to get one payment per month, some citizens may get two different checks. For this to happen, we must be part of a specific group of United States citizens. However, it is true that more Americans than are apparently on the list get two monthly payments.
Best of all, this coming February a beneficiary can get two different Social Security checks in the same week. Not just in the same month, but in the same first week of February 2024. If you have one Social Security check you already have the first step in cashing these two checks, but there are more requirements.
Some Americans may even get these two checks in the month but not in the first week. It is important to understand this, as we are not just talking about the first week of the month, as there are beneficiaries who collect their retirement check in the weeks after that. Whatever we do we have to keep in mind that without meeting the conditions we will not get two Social Security payments.
How do I get two Social Security payments in the first week of February?
In order to get these two Social Security payments in the first week of February we have to meet several requirements. One of these requirements is not mandatory, but it is advisable to meet it, as it will determine whether we get the benefit on the exact same day or a few days later.
These are the requirements:
- Have a Social Security retirement prior to 1977.
- Have a Supplemental Security Income check previously accepted.
- Activate Direct Deposit as a payment method.
Only this group will be eligible for retirement payments in the first week of February as well as Supplemental Security Income. The payment for pre-1997 retirees will arrive on the 2nd of February and the check for Supplemental Security Income on the 1st of the same month.
If we do not activate Direct Deposit but meet the other requirements, the Social Security Administration will send the checks on those days, but we will not get them immediately. We will have the payment in the following days, possibly the week after, since the payments are on Thursday (February 1st) and Friday (February 2nd).
Other retirement payments in February
In addition to the retirement payment for pre-1997 beneficiaries the Social Security Administration will send out three other checks in the month of February. Interestingly, these retirees will get the payment later than usual while the first group will get it earlier than usual.
In this case we are talking about the following payment days:
- February 14th. Payment for pre-1997 retirees with birthdays between the 1st and 10th of any month.
- February 21st. Payment for pre-1997 retirees with birthdays between the 11th and 20th day of any month.
- February 28th. Payment for pre-1997 retirees with birthdays between the 21st and 31st of any month.
Although it is true that the payments are made on the second, third and fourth Wednesday of the month, as established by Social Security, the truth is that the payment arrives a little later, since it is not until the 14th that the first payment is made.
After the payment on the 28th of February we will have to wait until March to see a new benefit. But at least we are now ready to know which days of next month we will have the retirement money available.