Social Security payments typically begin on the second Wednesday of every month, and the following waves go out in the subsequent weeks. The distribution of payments depends on which day of the month a retiree was born.

Social Security payments for May 2025 continue later this month, with the next checks scheduled for May 22 and May 31. These payments are part of the Social Security Administration’s staggered monthly distribution system, based on a recipient’s birth date and the date they began receiving benefits.