Social Security Monthly Payment Schedule

When receiving Social Security benefits, you receive your payment each month either by mail or by direct deposit. These payments are based on your birthday. Below is a general schedule that determines when you will receive your monthly payment. If you receive your payment by mail and you have not received your payment on the expected date listed below, they ask that you allow three additional mailing days before contacting your local Social Security office. You cannot change the date you receive your monthly retirement benefits.

If you receive your benefit payments through direct deposit and you did not receive it on the expected date, then contact them right away to report the missing payment. If your regularly scheduled payment date falls on a Saturday, Sunday or one of the federal public holidays, benefits will be paid the business day before your due date.

If for some reason your Social Security monthly payment has been lost or stolen, it can be replaced but could take a very long time. Below is the process you need to take to report your missing benefits payment based on how you receive it.

• Social Security payment by mail
  If you receive your monthly benefits payment by mail and it did not arrive on the expected date, then they will ask you to wait 3 additional dates before calling in to report it missing. To report your payment lost or stolen, contact the Social Security Help Center at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) between the hours of 7am to 7pm Monday through Friday. They highly recommend that if you are receiving your monthly retirement payments by mail, to switch to direct deposit as it is faster and easier to track.
• Social Security payment by direct deposit
  If your direct deposit payment did not show up in your bank, then you need to report a non-receipt of payment right away by calling the Social Security Help Center at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) between the hours of 7am to 7pm Monday through Friday.

If you do not receive your regularly scheduled payment from Social Security as a result of severe weather or other emergencies, in most cases you can go to any open Social Security office and request an immediate payment. To find the nearest open office try our Social Security Office locator to search for a location nearby.

When Social Security notifies you of an overpayment, you have the right to appeal the overpayment decision or request they waive and not collect the incorrect payment. They may stop collection of the overpayment if:

• You are without fault in creating the overpayment
• Paying it back would cause you financial hardship or be unfair for some other reason

If you do not agree that you have been overpaid, or if you believe the amount is incorrect, you can appeal by filing Form SSA-561 Request for Reconsideration. You should explain why you think you have not been overpaid or why you think the amount is not correct.

If you agree they paid you too much and the overpayment amount is correct, you have options for repaying it. Those options are listed below.

If you're receiving Social Security benefits, they withhold the full amount of your benefit each month, unless you ask for a lesser withholding amount, and they approve your request. Full withholding would start 30 days after they notify you of the overpayment.

If you're receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI), generally they will withhold 10 percent of the maximum federal benefit rate each month. If you can't afford this, you may ask that they take less from your benefit each month. Or, you may ask to pay back the overpayment at a rate greater than 10 percent.

They don't start deducting money from your SSI payments until at least 60 days after we notify you of the overpayment. If you no longer receive SSI, but you do receive Social Security, you can pay back your SSI overpayment by having up to 10 percent of your monthly Social Security benefit withheld. If you aren't receiving benefits, you should:

• Send a check to Social Security for the entire amount of the overpayment within 30 days
• Visit your local Social Security Field Office to make a payment using a check, money order, debit, or credit card
• Contact Social Security to set up a plan to pay back the amount in monthly installments

If you aren't receiving benefits, and you don't pay the amount back, they can recover the overpayment from your federal income tax refund or from your wages if you're working. Also, they can recover overpayments from future SSI or Social Security benefits. They will also report the delinquency to credit bureaus.