Today, a range of social security payments are paid out to selected groups of recipients.

According to the Social Security Administration (SSA), an estimated 68 million Americans will receive some form of Social Security benefits each month in 2024. These benefits include old age, disability, and survivor benefits, with total payouts of about $1.5 trillion over the course of the year.

However, because there are a large number of beneficiaries and significant amounts to be distributed, not all claimants can expect to receive their payments on the same day each month.

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Those who either received Social Security benefits prior to 1997 for the past 27 years and three months or who receive both retirement benefits and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) will receive their payments today, September 3.

Those receiving only SSI without retirement benefits should have received payments already. Payments are scheduled to begin on August 30, two days earlier than the usual first-of-the-month payment date because September 1 falls on a weekend.

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Further payments for other beneficiaries will be made in the next week and throughout the month. All other retirement benefits will be paid according to the recipient’s date of birth.

Those whose birthdays fall between the 1st and 10th of a month will receive their monthly payment on September 11, while claimants whose birthdays fall between the 11th and 20th of a month will receive their payment the following week on September 18. Finally, those born between the 21st and 31st of a month will receive their benefits on September 25.

If you have not received your funds by the assigned date, the SSA recommends waiting three business days before contacting them.

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Those eligible for the highest pension amounts will receive up to $4,873 today, but for most beneficiaries, that amount will likely be less.

As of January 2024, the average monthly retirement benefit for beneficiaries was $1,907. Social Security payments are calculated using the 35 highest-earning years of a person’s career and accounting for inflation.

On its website, the SSA explains: “The maximum benefit depends on your retirement age. For example, if you retire in 2024 at full retirement age, your maximum benefit is $3,822. However, if you retire in 2024 at age 62, your maximum benefit is $2,710. If you retire in 2024 at age 70, your maximum benefit is $4,873.”

For those receiving SSI, the maximum amount that can be claimed per month is $943 for an individual and $1,415 for a couple. SSI provides checks to Americans with disabilities as well as older adults with limited income.