Printable Social Security Payment Calendar – 2021

For many seniors, their Social Security benefit payments represent their primary source of income. When Social Security benefits are paid each month can be a major factor in helping seniors keep their finances in order. The Social Security Administration has released the Printable Social Security Payment Calendar 2021. In this post, we will walk you through how the payment calendar works and walk you through a month by month schedule of the payment dates for benefits, including for SSI and SSDI benefits.

No More Paper Checks for Social Security Benefits

The Social Security Administration no longer pays benefits by check.

You have two options to get your benefits:

First, you can choose to get your payments by direct deposit into a savings or checking account with a bank or credit union.

Second, If you don’t have a bank account, your benefits will be paid via a Direct Express debit card.

Before we get into the 2021 Social Security payment schedule, here’s why the Social Security program is so important to millions of people.

Number of People on Social Security

Over 64 million people, or more than 1 in every 6 U.S. residents, collected Social Security benefits in June 2020.

In addition, 80% of Social Security beneficiaries are older Americans.

The other 20% of beneficiaries are made up of those who receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or young survivors of deceased workers.

Average Social Security Check Amount

For 2020, the average Social Security retirement benefit is $1,543 a month.

In addition, the maximum Social Security benefit — the most an individual retiree can get — is $3,148 a month.

That maximum benefit applies to someone who files for Social Security in 2020 at full retirement age.

The full retirement age is the age at which you qualify for 100 percent of the benefit calculated from your earnings history.

This post will cover:

• How Social Security Payment Schedule Works
• Printable Social Security Payment Calendar 2021
• What To Do If You Don’t Recieve Your Benefits
• Biggest Social Security Changes for 2021

How Social Security Payment Schedule Works

If you are receiving Social Security Retirement or Social Security Disability Insurance benefits (SSDI), your payment date depends on your birth date.

In addition, If you are receiving payments on the record of a retired, disabled, or deceased worker (for example, spousal or survivor benefits), that person’s birthday sets the schedule.

Here’s how the Social Security Payment schedule works for those who receive Social Security retirement benefits or SSDI:

• If your birthday is in the first 10 days of the month, then you’ll receive your benefits payments on the second Wednesday of each month.
• For those with birthdays between the 11th and the 20th, benefit payments are deposited on the third Wednesday of the month.
• Payments are made on the fourth Wednesday of the month for those with birthdays on the 21st or later.

Here is a table that better displays how the payment schedule works:

Now that you understand how the payment schedule works, it’s time to review the 2021 payment calendar as released by the SSA.

Printable Social Security Payment Dates 2021

Below is the 2021 Social Security Payment Schedule as released by the Social Security Administration:

If you find this schedule hard to read, we have a simplified version below. Scroll down to see it.

For the printable version, see the link below:

Printable Version

Printable Calendar for 2021

Here is a simplified version of the Social Security Payment Dates for 2021:

Social Security Retirement and SSDI recipients

Here is a simplified version of the 2021 Social Security Payment Calendar for Social Security retirement benefits and SSDI beneficiaries.

If your birthday falls between the 1st and 10th:

• January 13
• February 10
• March 10
• April 14
• May 12
• June 9
• July 14
• August 11
• September 8
• October 13
• November 10
• December 8

If your birthday falls between the 11th and 20th:

• January 20
• February 17
• March 17
• April 21
• May 19
• June 16
• July 21
• August 18
• September 15
• October 20
• November 17
• December 15

If your birthday falls between the 21st and 31st:

• January 27
• February 24
• March 24
• April 28
• May 26
• June 23
• July 28
• August 25
• September 22
• October 27
• November 24
• December 22

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Payment Dates for 2021

For SSI recipients, benefits will arrive on the first of the month.  If the 1st of the month falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or a federal holiday, you will be paid on the business day before then.

For example, if the 1st of the month falls on a Saturday, you’ll receive your benefits the Friday before.

Exception

If you’ve been receiving Social Security benefits prior to May 1997 or you get both Social Security and SSI payments, here’s what you need to know:

Your payments will be made on the 3rd of each month. If the 3rd falls on a weekend or holiday, payment will be made on the preceding Friday.

Here is the complete SSI payment schedule for 2021.

We have first listed dates for those only receiving SSI benefits.

Next, we have provided dates for those receiving both Social Security retirement benefits and SSI.

What To Do If You Don’t Recieve Your Benefits

If you do not receive your payment on your specified day or date, the Social Security Administration asks that you wait three mailing days before contacting them.

You can contact Social Security at 1-800-772-1213.

Biggest Social Security Changes for 2021

Social Security benefits are changing forever at the beginning of 2021.

Here is the summary of the 2021 Social Security changes:

Social Security recipients will get more money

In 2021, Social Security recipients will see a 1.3 percent Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) increase.

For the average person receiving Social Security benefits, their monthly Social Security check will rise by $20 to $1,543 in January from $1,523 in 2020.

In addition, the average retired couple who both collect Social Security benefits will see their check rise by $33 to $2,596, up from $2,563.

Furthermore, for Disability beneficiaries, their average monthly benefits will increase by $16 to $1,277 from $1,261.

Also, the maximum Social Security check for an individual retiring at full retirement age will rise to $3,148 a month in 2021 from $3,011 — an increase of $137.

Here’s the list of average monthly benefits Social Security recipients can expect in 2021. We have also shown the difference from 2020:

1.Social Security Retirement Beneficiaries – Individual: $1,543 (+$20)

2. Social Security Retirement Beneficiaries – Couple: $2,596 (+$33)

3. Social Security Retirement Beneficiaries – Widow or widower: $1,453 (+$19)

4. Social Security Retirement Beneficiaries – Widow with two kids: $3,001 (+$39)

5. SSDI Benefits for Individuals: $1,277 (+$16)

6. SSDI Benefits for Individuals w/ spouse, kids: $2,224 (+$29)

7. SSI Benefits for individuals: $794 (+$11)

8. SSI Benefits for couples: $1,191 (+$16)

Earnings subject to social security tax will increase

High earners can expect to pay more to social security taxes in 2021.

That is because the maximum taxable earnings rate will increase from $137,700 to $142,800.

However, the social security tax rate that employees are required to pay will remain the same, at 6.2 percent.

In addition, for people who are self-employed, the Social Security tax rate will remain at 12.4 percent.

Full Retirement Age is Going Up

Full retirement age in 2021 is going higher by two months, to 66 years and 10 months for people born in 1959.

However, it will peak at age 67 in 2022 for anyone born in 1960 or later.

The earliest a recipient can obtain Social Security retirement benefits is age 62.

However, obtaining these benefits before your full retirement age will result in your monthly payments being reduced.

If you wait to obtain benefits until age 70, you will receive a 32 percent higher annual payout.

Printable Social Security Payment Calendar 2021 Summary

Here’s the bottom line:

Social Security no longer pays benefits by check.

If you receive retirement benefits or SSDI, then your benefits will be paid based on your birthdate.

If you get SSI, then you will receive your benefits on the first of each month.

However, if you get both Social Security retirement benefits and SSI, then you will be paid on the 3rd of each month.

If a scheduled payment date falls on a weekend or federal holiday, payments are made on the first preceding day that isn’t a Saturday, Sunday, or holiday.

Questions?

We hope this post about the Printable Social Security Payment Calendar 2021 was helpful.

If you still have questions, you should leave a comment below.

However, what may be an even greater help is to join our FREE Facebook members group about Making Sense of Social Security Benefits.

It’s a very active group with some really smart people who love to answer any questions you may have about Social Security Benefits.

Also, from time to time, our team of editors drop in to contribute and answer questions.

Finally, you may like these popular articles, including How to Change Your Address with Social Security, and the Top 5 Changes to Social Security in 2021.