Overview
- The Social Security retirement schedule pays by birth date with October rounds on Oct. 14 for those born 1–10, Oct. 21 for those born 11–20, and Oct. 28 for those born 21–31.
- Retirees born between the 11th and 20th received the second October payment on Wednesday, Oct. 21, following the first round that went out on Oct. 14.
- If a payment is missing recipients should check their bank first because direct deposits typically post by 9 a.m., allow up to three business days for paper checks to arrive, confirm SSA account and address details, and call 800-772-1213 or use the My Social Security portal to report the problem.
- People qualify for retirement benefits generally at age 62 with about 40 work credits and the SSA recommends applying up to four months before the month you want payments to begin to reduce the chance of delays.
- Agency officials have reported field-office strain and experts including Jason Fichtner have warned that staff reductions and aging computer systems could prolong processing times, which could slow new claims, slow responses to payments problems, and increase customer wait times at phone lines and offices.