Millions of Social Security recipients can look forward to their monthly payment arriving this week.
Why It Matters
More than 70 million Americans depend on Social Security for critical income through retirement, disability and survivor benefits. Funded by payroll taxes that workers contribute over their careers, the program allows people to begin claiming retirement benefits as early as age 62. Because it serves such a vast number of recipients, the Social Security Administration (SSA) issues payments on a staggered schedule throughout each month rather than sending them all at once.
When Are Payments Coming?
This week, beneficiaries with birthdays between the 11th and 20th of any month are scheduled to receive their payments on Wednesday.
Additional payments for other recipients are set to follow later in February, including another round on February 25, for those born between the 21st and 31st of any month, and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments for March on February 27.
If a payment does not arrive on the expected date, recipients are advised to wait up to three business days before contacting the SSA.
How Much Is Social Security?
Retirement benefit amounts vary widely based on a worker’s lifetime earnings, the age they begin claiming and the year their benefits start. To qualify, individuals must earn at least 40 Social Security credits, with a maximum of four credits per year—meaning most workers become eligible after about 10 years in the workforce.
For high earners, the difference between claiming early and waiting can be substantial. Someone who earned the taxable maximum every year from age 22 and begins collecting benefits in 2026 would receive about $4,152 per month at full retirement age. That figure would drop to about $2,969 per month if claimed at age 62, but rise to about $5,181 per month if benefits were delayed until age 70.
Most retirees, however, receive far less than these top-tier payments. As of December, the average monthly Social Security benefit for a retired worker was $2,071.30.
COLA Boost for Recipients
Social Security recipients have received their 2026 annual boost, but predictions are already in for 2027.
Each year, Social Security benefits are reviewed through a cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA, which is designed to ensure that the “purchasing power of Social Security and SSI benefits is not eroded by inflation,” according to the SSA.
The Senior Citizens League, which regularly projects how much the boost will be, has offered a latest estimate of a 2.8 percent COLA for 2027, matching the increase applied in 2026. That forecast represents a slight upward revision from January, when the group had predicted a smaller 2.5 percent adjustment.
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