Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Schedule: Recipients To Receive Two Benefit Checks in March 2023
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) checks are typically deposited on the first of every month unless the first falls on a weekend or holiday. According to the SSA’s schedule of Social Security benefits for 2023, SSI recipients will receive two payments in March.
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If you received Social Security before May 1997 — or if you’re receiving both Social Security and SSI — then you will receive your Social Security payment on March 3rd and SSI on March 1st and March 31st (instead of a check at the beginning of April).
Because of a quirk in the payment schedule, SSI beneficiaries get two SSI payments in March, June, September and December, while no payments are deposited in January, April, July and October. This happens when the first of the month lands on a weekend or holiday. The extra payment can be considered a payment advance for the next month.
If you don’t receive your payment on the expected date, the SSA advises allowing three additional mailing days before contacting Social Security. If you receive a direct deposit, you can expect to receive your payment on the expected date, but this may depend on your bank.
SSI is a needs-based program and benefits are provided to low-income Social Security recipients with a disability. The Social Security Administration oversees the program and to be eligible for SSI, you must meet the SSA’s following criteria:
Be age 65 or older
Partially or completely blind
Have a medical condition that keeps you from working, which is expected to last one year or result in death
The SSA calculates your federal SSI benefit amount by deducting countable unearned and earned income from the maximum federal benefit amount. For 2023, the maximum monthly amount is $914 for an eligible individual, $1,371 for an eligible couple and $458 for an essential person. The maximum SSI amount changes based on annual cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs), which are tied to inflation. The 2023 increase is thanks to an 8.7% COLA increase.
An SSI essential person is someone who lives with an SSI beneficiary and provides essential care, according to Benefits.com. There are strict requirements around the definition of an essential person, so make sure you meet those requirements before applying for SSI benefits.
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Some states and U.S. territories supplement the federal SSI benefit with additional payments. The amount you receive varies based on your income, living arrangements and other factors. The following states and U.S. territories do not pay a supplement to SSI recipients: Arizona, Arkansas, Mississippi, North Dakota, Northern Mariana Islands, Tennessee and West Virginia.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Schedule: Recipients To Receive Two Benefit Checks in March 2023
