The second wave of Social Security payments for March is scheduled to be distributed this week, following a normal schedule.
The payments come as new warnings emerge about the program’s future. A Congressional Budget Office report projects Social Security’s main trust fund could be depleted by September 2032 – a year sooner than a 2033 estimate issued by trustees last year.
If the trust fund is depleted, Social Security would continue sending checks to current and future retirees, but payments could be reduced unless Congress takes action.
Here’s what you need to know about this week’s payments.
Close-up of American Social Security cards.
More: Here’s how to boost your Social Security benefit up to 8% in 1 year
Beneficiaries who were born between the 11th and 20th day of their birth month are set to receive their monthly Social Security benefit on Wednesday, March 18, according to the SSA’s payment calendar.
Social Security benefits – mainly paid to recipients who are older or retired – are typically paid on Wednesdays.
If a recipient’s birthdate is between the first and 10th of the month, they are usually issued payments on the second Wednesday of the payment month, according to the SSA’s calendar. Recipients born between the 11th and 20th are paid on the third Wednesday, and those born after the 20th are paid on the fourth Wednesday.
More: When to expect your Social Security payment for March. See schedule.
For those who received Social Security before May 1997, you can expect your payment on the third day of the month, unless it falls on a weekend or holiday
Individuals who receive both Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) can expect their Social Security payment on the third day of the month and their SSI payment on the first day of the month.
Recipients of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) checks are typically issued payments on the first business day of the month. Since March 1, 2026, is a Sunday, payments for March were to go out on Friday, Feb. 27, 2026.
Here are the dates for SSI payments for 2026, according to the SSA calendar:
Wednesday, April 1, 2026 (Check for April 2026)
Friday, May 1, 2026 (Check for May 2026)
Monday, June 1, 2026 (Check for June 2026)
Wednesday, July 1, 2026 (Check for July 2026)
Friday, July 31, 2026 (Check for August 2026)
Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026 (Check for September 2026)
Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026 (Check for October 2026)
Friday, Oct. 30, 2026 (Check for November 2026)
Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2026 (Check for December 2026)
Friday, Dec. 31, 2026 (Check for January 2027)
