The final round of Social Security payments will be made to beneficiaries across the U.S. this week.
Why It Matters
The Social Security Administration (SSA) issues monthly benefits to more than 70 million Americans, offering essential financial support to retirees, people with disabilities, and the survivors of deceased workers.
Most recipients receive their payments as a single lump sum each month. However, because of the large number of beneficiaries, the distribution of benefits is staggered and not all payments are made on the same day.
What To Know
This week, on Wednesday, July 23, retirement, spousal and survivor benefits will be paid to all beneficiaries with a birthday falling between the 21st and 31st of any given calendar month.
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How Much Is Social Security?
In May 2025, the average monthly benefit for a retired worker reached $2,002.39. Payments can be higher or lower than this amount, as benefits are based on how much a recipient has earned during their career and the age at which they decide to begin collecting.
The maximum possible benefit is $5,108 per month for those who delay claiming Social Security until age 70. Opting to take your benefits at 62 reduces the maximum to $2,831, while waiting until the full retirement of 67 increases it to $4,018.
What Happens Next
So far 2025 has been flush with changes for Social Security recipients, mostly because of the Trump Administration’s ongoing overhaul of the federal government.
Beneficiaries can look forward to an increase in their benefit amounts next year—with current predictions setting the annual Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) at around 2.5 percent.
Seniors will also benefit from an upcoming tax break. As part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed into law by the president earlier this month, the standard deduction for seniors aged 65 and over will be raised by up to $6,000 between 2025 and 2028.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, the White House said that 51.4 million seniors—88 percent of all seniors receiving Social Security—will not pay any tax on their benefits income as a result of the policy. Though the measure doesn’t directly change how Social Security benefits are taxed, it may indirectly shield more of that income from federal taxes for lower- and middle-income retirees.
More changes are on the way for those who still receive their benefits in the form of physical paper checks.
As mandated by a Trump executive order signed earlier this year, all federal disbursements—including Social Security, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), vendor payments, and tax refunds—will be distributed electronically after September 30, 2025.