As the end of the year draws near, the Social Security Administration has good news for retired workers and people in the United States who get Supplemental Security Income (SSI):
They will be the first to get their official higher Social Security check, which includes the cost of living adjustment (COLA). Since January 1 is a holiday, people who are supposed to get benefits on that day will get them early on December 31.
Please keep in mind that this COLA increase is meant to help Americans keep up with inflation and, in some cases, fight poverty.
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is a program that gives monthly payments to millions of low-income American seniors, disabled people, and children in certain financial situations.
Social Security check confirmed for New Year’s Eve including the new COLA increase
It is the job of the Social Security Administration to send out five sets of payments every month.
The first and third days of each month are when people who get Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Retirement, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (RSDI) get their first payments.
According to each beneficiary’s date of birth, SSA then sends them three more rounds of benefits on the second, third, and fourth Wednesdays of each month.
Also, people who get Supplemental Security Income (SSI) will get their first payment, which includes the COLA increase, on December 31st, just like people who get Social Security payments.
Remember that because of the federal holiday on January 1, the SSA will move the payment date to Tuesday, December 31st, the next working day.
So, people who get SSI will get the new Social Security benefits first, along with the cost of living adjustment (COLA) increase for 2025. The following table shows more details about the dates when the new pay raise will be made guaranteed:
| Social Security checks with COLA increase | Monthly benefits (2025) | Criteria to deliver monthly benefits |
| SSI benefits | No payments in January | The first increased payment will be given to recipients on December 31st because January 1st is a holiday. |
| Americans with disabilities, survivors, and retirees (before May 1997) | January 3rd (Friday) | Those who applied for Social Security before this date are the only ones eligible for payments. |
| Americans with disabilities, survivors, and retirees (after May 1997) | January 8th (Wednesday)
January 12th (Wednesday) January 22nd (Wednesday) |
Day of birth: 1st–10th.
Day of birth: 11th–20th. Day of birth: 21st–31st. |
What will the new, higher Social Security payment be worth to recipients in January 2025?
The person’s age, work history, type of disability, and ability to get SSDI benefits are some of the things that affect their Social Security benefits.
The SSA will figure out the amount of the monthly payment based on the beneficiary’s situation once they are eligible for the program. The benefit is value will change every year because of the cost of living adjustment (COLA). This helps recipients keep up with inflation.
It is now up to the Social Security Administration to decide how much each beneficiary will get from the 2.5% increase in benefits that was announced for 2025.
This graph shows how much people who get Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Retirement, Survivorship, and Disability Insurance (RSDI) will get starting in January 2025.
It takes into account the 2.5% COLA increase and all the different payment amounts for each program.
| Retirement benefits (Plus 2.5%) | Survivor benefits (Plus 2.5%) | SSDI benefits (Plus 2.5%) | SSI benefits (Plus 2.5%) |
| On average: $1,948
Age 62: $2,778 Age 67: $3,918 Age 70: $4,995 |
On average: $1,543
Individual: $1,817 2 Children: $3,744 |
On average: $1,575
Blind recipients: $2,655 Maximum payment: $3,918 |
On average: $715
Individuals: $967 Couples: $1,450 Essential person: $484 |
