Overview
- Payments are scheduled by birth date: those born on the 1st–10th are paid Nov. 12, the 11th–20th on Nov. 19, and the 21st–31st on Nov. 26.
- The average retired-worker benefit is $2,006.69 per month, and the maximum for someone claiming at 70 is $5,108.
- Delaying a claim boosts the monthly check through delayed retirement credits of about 8% per year after full retirement age.
- A Sept. 30 policy change moved federal benefits from paper checks to electronic payments, and fewer than 1% previously used checks.
- Analysts say full benefits could be jeopardized around 2034 without action as retiree numbers rise and the worker base shrinks.