It’s almost August, and while some people are eagerly awaiting back-to-school season, others are counting down the days until their next Social Security check arrives. But when exactly are those payments coming? And how much will the checks be? We share everything you need to know about the August Social Security payment schedule below.
What to know about August Social Security payments
This year, August 1 is a Saturday. That means some of the month’s Social Security payments are going to be moved up, since the Social Security Administration (SSA) won’t send payments out on a weekend or a federal holiday. Instead, they will send them out on the closest business day, meaning that for August, some people will actually get their payments in July. To view when in July, and learn when everyone else will get their payments, look at the breakdown below.
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients will get their payments on Friday, July 31.
If you received Social Security before May 1997 or are receiving both Social Security and SSI, you’ll get both payments on Monday, August 3.
If you were born on the 1st through the 10th of the month, your benefits will be sent out on Wednesday, August 12.
If you were born on the 11th through the 20th of the month, your benefits will be sent out on Wednesday, August 19.
If you were born on the 21st through the 31st of the month, your benefits will be sent out on Wednesday, August 26.
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How will August Social Security payments be sent out?
All August Social Security checks will be sent out via direct deposit on the dates listed above. That’s because the SSA discontinued paper checks in September 2025, leaving Social Security beneficiaries with two options for payments: direct deposit into a checking or savings account or loaded onto a Direct Express Card, which is basically a prepaid debit card created for federal payments.
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“There are two key reasons for this change: efficiency and fraud prevention,” Kevin Thompson, the CEO of 9i Capital Group, told Newsweek last year. “Digital payments streamline the distribution process, cut down on mailing costs and reduce the potential for delays or errors while by using secure electronic payment methods, the SSA can better ensure that benefits are delivered directly to the intended recipients, reducing the risk of theft or misdirected funds.”
Will the new Social Security Direct Express change affect August payments?
In May of this year the SSA announced they would be changing their financial provider from Comerica Bank to Fifth Third Bank, forcing people who use Direct Express for their payments to switch banks and get a new card. Thankfully, that change isn’t supposed to take effect until later this year, meaning August payments will not be affected.
“For recipients, this mostly means more of the same,” Alex Beene, a financial literacy instructor for the University of Tennessee at Martin, told Newsweek of the Direct Express change. “Benefits should still arrive electronically on their normal payment date, but it could add value if the new system improves security and customer service.”
How to calculate your August Social Security benefits
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For everyone who’s collected Social Security previously, the amount you receive will stay the same. If this is your first time collecting Social Security, you can calculate your payments by entering your date of birth and your earnings from the current year or the last year you worked into the SSA’s Quick Benefits Calculator. From there it will tell you how much money you will receive each month based on your age. It will also tell you how much money you will get if you claim disability or survivor benefits.
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