The SSA, or Social Security Administration, was established in 1935. It is classified as an independent executive branch agency. The main focus of this agency is to provide survivor, retirement, and disability benefits as well as to administer Social Security.
A micro aspect of this task is the management and distribution of the monthly benefit payments. A further task allocation here is the issuing of Social Security numbers and cards, as well as the enrollment of individuals into Medicare.
Taking a closer look at the Social Security Administration
The agency was formed as part of the Social Security Act. Ranked second when it comes to federal agency spending, the total amount of money spent during the 2024 fiscal year was $1,52 trillion. Spending figures can fluctuate and are dependent on program and policy changes, as well as things such as your population growth. Adjustments to the annual spending figures are made according to the situation of inflation.
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In the bigger scenario, categorization of federal spending is made as indirect or direct. Direct spending is classified as money spent by the federal government.
This is made to debt interest, federal programs, and employee salaries. Whereas the indirect spending is classified as a transfer of funds to local and state governments. Less than 0.05% was transferred from the SSA to the local and state governments.
A financial snippet of the Social Security Administration
Approximately 70% of the individuals who receive Social Security Checks in America do so under the classification of retired workers. The benefit amount averages to just under $2,000 monthly, $1,999,97 to be exact. This has been broadly stipulated in the SSA monthly statistical snapshot for April 2025. The payment for disabled workers amounts to approximately $1,581,88 per month.
Survivor benefits more or less amount to $1,565,87 monthly, whereas the recipients of the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefit would receive an average monthly benefit check of $717,87. As noted, these benefits are paid monthly to those eligible individuals. Where payment fluctuations occur, it can be due to a variety of influencing factors. Understanding the individual’s exact eligibility will indicate the expected payment.
Synchronizing the various calendars
The SSA distributes payments to nearly 74 million individuals monthly. This is a massive administrative task that requires proper coordination. To ensure effective service delivery in this regard, the Social Security payment schedule has been established to smooth out the process. Due to the arrangement of the calendar, payments during May are made a bit later than in any other month during the year.
The retirement benefits calendar post-May 1997 is as follows:
- Birth dates between the 1st and the 10th of the month have a payment allocated to 14 May (the second Wednesday of the month)
- Birth dates between the 11th and the 20th of the month have a payment allocated to 21 May (the third Wednesday of the month)
- Birth dates between the 21st and the 31st of the month have a payment allocated to 28 May (fourth Wednesday of the month)
Pre-May 1997 beneficiaries have a payment scheduled for the 3rd of the month. Social Security payments are paid on the 1st of each month. When this day overlaps with a weekend or a public holiday, the payment runs on the business day before. These calendars are posted on the SSA website and will provide a clear indication of when which payment can be expected. When no payments are received, recipients are encouraged to wait three business days before attempting to query this.
The query should be referred to the bank first to cut out any technical problems with the bank account. Thereafter, the query can be referred to the SSA for further handling and resolution thereof.
