This month, the Social Security Administration (SSA) will start giving benefits to about 70 million Americans. These people include retirees, survivors, and disabled people.
The payments, which started this week, include changes made by the Social Security Fairness Act, which was passed in December 2024. Dates of payment depend on the type of benefit and the person who will be receiving it.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) gave out the first Supplemental Security Income (SSI) funds on April 1, 2025. These funds were meant to help older people, people with visual or functional disabilities, and people who do not have a lot of money.
The help is meant to make sure that vulnerable groups are financially stable. The most a person can get is $967, and a couple who lives together and applies for benefits together can get $1,450.
The Social Security benefits calendar continues throughout the month of April
On April 3, payments were sent to retirees who started getting benefits before May 1997. People who get SSI are also in this group. The SSA says that delays should not be reported until three business days after the due date, not including weekends or federal holidays like Memorial Day.
These dates are based on the retirees’ days of birth: April 9 is for people born between the 1st and 10th of any month, April 16 is for people born between the 11th and 20th, and April 23 is for people born between the 21st and 31st. If you retire at age 62, you can get up to $2,831, and if you wait until age 70, you can get up to $5,108.
permanent increases for retirees with a new law
The Biden administration pushed for the Social Security Fairness Act, which got rid of two rules (called WEP and GPO) that cut benefits for retirees with pensions from jobs that were not covered by the system, like teachers, firefighters, and police officers.
The measure affects 3.2 million people, such as spouses and widows. In March 2025, a lot of people got one-time payments for benefits they had already earned.
From April on, the monthly increases will stay in place: retirees will pay an average of $360 more, beneficiary spouses will pay $700 more, and affected widowers will pay $1,190 more.
The process could take up to a year for cases that are very complicated and need to be looked over by hand. The SSA says to get in touch with them if the April payment is the same as the March payment. This is thought to be legal.
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mandatory transition to electronic methods of receiving benefits
Donald Trump signed an order on March 25, 2025, that got rid of paper checks for federal payments, like Social Security benefits. From September 30, that year, payments will only be made through direct deposit, prepaid cards, or digital means. The goal of the measure is to cut down on fraud, costs, and delays.
The White House says that the check system cost $657 million in 2024. At the moment, 456,000 beneficiaries (0.7%) are still getting physical checks.
People who can not get to a bank, are in an emergency, or are having a lot of problems because of the change will be exempt. People who want to apply must show proof of their situation.
The measure seems like it would work well, but older people or people who live in rural areas might have trouble with it. The process for making an exception is not automatic; you have to fill out paperwork and give a reason.
To make the transition easier, the SSA will start proactive communication with those who will be affected. Those who choose digital methods have to pick between direct deposit and government-issued pre-paid cards.
Also See:- Big Changes Coming to Social Security in April – See If Your Direct Deposit Will Increase to $5,180
