Millions of retired people in the United States are about to receive their May 2025 Social Security payments this week. The schedule is based on birthdates, and also includes early deposits for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) due to a weekend date in June.
Let’s take a closer look at who is getting paid, how much money they’ll receive, and how this year’s cost-of-living increase is affecting benefits.
When Will Social Security Payments Be Made in May 2025?
Social Security payments follow a schedule that depends on the retiree’s birthday. These are the three groups:
Group 1 (Already Paid):
People born between the 1st and 10th of any month were paid on Wednesday, May 14.
Group 2 (This Week):
Those born between the 11th and 20th will get their money on Wednesday, May 21.
Group 3 (Next Week):
People with birthdays from the 21st to 31st will receive their deposit on Wednesday, May 28.
Payments are usually made via direct deposit to bank accounts early in the morning. If you’re receiving your benefits by paper check, your payment may arrive a little later due to mail delays.
Why Are Some SSI Payments Coming Early?
If you receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI), your June payment will be sent earlier — on Friday, May 30 — because June 1st falls on a weekend. The Social Security Administration (SSA) always makes early payments in such cases to avoid delays.
What’s New in 2025: Social Security Benefits Increased
In 2025, Social Security benefits went up by 2.5% due to the Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA). This increase is designed to help retirees deal with rising prices caused by inflation.
Here’s how payments have changed:
- Single retirees: Increased from $1,927 to $1,976 per month
- Married couples (both receiving benefits): Increased from $3,014 to $3,089 per month
- Maximum benefit (for those who retired at age 70): $5,108 per month
These changes help seniors manage everyday expenses like food, medicine, and rent.
Why Was This Year’s Increase Smaller Than 2024?
In 2024, the COLA was 3.2%, which was higher than this year’s 2.5% increase. Experts say the smaller increase is because inflation slowed down during the last few months of 2024, based on data from the U.S. Department of Labor.
While prices stopped rising as quickly, many retirees still feel the pressure from high medical bills, rent, and food costs — things that often increase faster than general inflation.
What About 2026? Early Predictions Say a Smaller Raise
The Congressional Budget Office expects the 2026 COLA to be around 2.4%, which would be the lowest increase since 2021, when it was just 1.3%. This might be a concern, especially for the 45% of retirees who depend on Social Security for 90% or more of their total income.
Should the COLA Formula Be Updated?
Some experts and organizations like AARP believe the current method of calculating COLA is outdated. Right now, it’s based on the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) — a formula that doesn’t reflect the real expenses of older adults.
A new proposal suggests using the Consumer Price Index for the Elderly (CPI-E). This index focuses more on the kinds of costs older people actually face — especially healthcare, housing, nutritional supplements, and special diets.
Switching to CPI-E could help retirees get fairer adjustments and more support for their real-life needs.
This week’s Social Security deposits are just hours away for retirees born between the 11th and 20th of any month. The next batch comes on May 28 for those born later in the month. With a 2.5% COLA increase, monthly benefits have gone up slightly to help cover inflation, though concerns remain about whether future increases will keep up with the true cost of living.
Many older Americans rely heavily on Social Security, and any changes to payment formulas could have a big impact on their day-to-day lives. It’s more important than ever for retirees to stay informed and check their payment dates regularly.
