It’s time to start preparing for Social Security payments in May.
Recipients receive their monthly benefits based on their birthdate.
That means those with a birthdate between the 1st and the 10th of the month, benefits are issued on the second Wednesday of each month. Those with a birthdate between the 11th and the 20th receive their check on the third Wednesday of the month, and those born between the 21st and 31st get their check on the fourth Wednesday.
Beneficiaries born between the 1st and 10th of the month will receive their monthly Social Security benefit first in May.
According to the Social Security payment calendar, the first payment for eligible recipients is expected to be delivered on Wednesday, May 13.
Those with birthdates between the 11th and the 20th will receive a check on Wednesday, May 20, while the last payment for those born between the 21st and 31st will be delivered on Wednesday, May 27.
The Social Security Administration provides a comprehensive schedule of benefit payments for 2026, which is publicly available on the SSA website.
The average monthly retirement benefit is currently $1,931, according to data from the Social Security Administration.
Monthly retirement benefit amounts vary based on when a worker retires and how much they earned throughout their life.
Those who retire later in life have higher maximum benefits. For 2026, those who retired at 62 have a maximum benefit of $2,969, while those who wait until full retirement age (67) have a maximum benefit of $4,152, and those who retire at 70 have a maximum benefit of $5,181, according to the Social Security Administration.
