More than 70 million people in the U.S. who receive Social Security and related benefits can now look forward to their May 2025 payments. The good news is that these payments still include the 2.5% cost-of-living increase (COLA) that was approved for the full year. While some top earners will get up to $5,108 this month, most recipients will receive smaller, average payments.
When Will You Get Your Social Security Check in May 2025?
The Social Security Administration (SSA) follows a set schedule based on your birth date to send out payments. If you started receiving Social Security after May 1997, your payment date in May 2025 depends on your birthday:
- Birthdays from 1st to 10th – Payment on May 14 (2nd Wednesday)
- Birthdays from 11th to 20th – Payment on May 21 (3rd Wednesday)
- Birthdays from 21st to 31st – Payment on May 28 (4th Wednesday)
If you receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI), you’ll get two payments in May: one already delivered on May 1, and another coming on May 30, which is actually your June benefit being sent early because June 1 falls on a Sunday.
Why Only One Group Gets Paid Next Week?
Only people with birthdays from the 1st to the 10th will receive Social Security on May 14. The next groups will be paid on May 21 and May 28. This staggered schedule helps the SSA avoid payment delays and manage the large number of beneficiaries smoothly.
This payment system has been in place since 1997 and applies only to those who began collecting Social Security after that year. People who started getting benefits before May 1997 receive their payment on the 3rd of each month, not by birth date.
Who Gets the Maximum Social Security Check of $5,108?
The maximum monthly benefit of $5,108 in 2025 is only available to a small group of high earners who:
- Retired at age 70
- Worked for many years
- Earned high salaries consistently
- Delayed retirement to earn more benefit credits
This top group is less than 4% of all Social Security recipients. Most people receive much less. The average monthly retirement benefit in 2025 is around $1,976.
Here’s a quick look at the maximum benefits based on retirement age in 2025:
- Retired at 62: $2,831
- Retired at 67: $4,018
- Retired at 70: $5,108
How the Social Security Fairness Act Changed Payments
Since January 2025, the Social Security Fairness Act has helped more than 1.1 million public sector workers. It removed two controversial rules:
These rules used to reduce benefits for people who had government pensions from jobs that didn’t pay Social Security taxes. After the new law, affected retirees started getting full payments and retroactive increases in February and March 2025.
On average, these changes added about $190 more per month to affected checks. But not everyone saw these increases—only those who were directly affected by WEP and GPO.
No Errors or Delays Reported for May Payments
According to official SSA sources, all deposits scheduled for May 2025 are going out as planned. There have been no widespread issues or delays. Payment dates and amounts are consistent with what the SSA announced earlier this year.