Social Security Schedule: When Benefits Will Arrive in August 2023

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Seniors who depend on Social Security for a big chunk of their income every month need a clear understanding of when their payments will arrive. Fortunately, the Social Security Administration pays benefits on the same schedule every month, though exact payment dates vary from one month to the next.

Social Security retirement benefits — including benefits for August 2023 — are paid on the second, third and fourth Wednesdays of every month as determined by your date of birth. Here’s a look at the August payment schedule:

• If your birthday falls on the 1^st through the 10^th, you’ll receive your payment on the second Wednesday of the month, which is Aug. 9.
• If your birthday falls on the 11^th through the 20^th, you’ll be paid on the third Wednesday (Aug. 16).
• Those with birthdays on the 21^st through 31^st will be paid on the fourth Wednesday (Aug. 23).
• If you received Social Security before May 1997 or receive both Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits, then Social Security is paid on Aug. 3 and SSI on Aug. 1. You can see the full 2023 payment schedule here.

Unlike Social Security checks, SSI checks don’t follow the same script every month. Because of a quirk in the payment schedule, SSI beneficiaries get two payments in March, June, September and December, while no payments are deposited in January, April, July and October. One check is issued the remaining four months: February, May, August and November.

The average Social Security check as of June 2023 was $1,701.62 a month, according to the SSA. The average retirement benefit was $1,788.89 a month. Both of those figures are well up from last year thanks to an 8.7% cost-of-living adjustment for 2023 — the biggest in more than four decades.

If you don’t receive your payment on your scheduled date, the SSA advises waiting three additional mailing days before contacting the agency. After that, you can call the agency at 800-772-1213, Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. Those who are deaf or hard of hearing can reach the SSA’s TTY line at 800-325-0778.

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