Millions of Social Security recipients are seeing changes in their benefit schedules and amounts this summer due to calendar shifts, new federal legislation, and ongoing agency reforms.

Early SSI Payments Due to Calendar Shift

For June 2025, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients received their payments on Friday, May 30, instead of the usual June 1. That’s because June 1 falls on a Sunday, and the Social Security Administration (SSA) issues payments on the previous business day when scheduled dates fall on weekends or holidays.

As a result, there will be no SSI payment in the month of June, and the next SSI check will arrive on Tuesday, July 1. Beneficiaries are encouraged to budget accordingly.

Regular Social Security Payments: Know Your Date

Regular Social Security retirement, survivor, and disability benefits follow a monthly schedule based on the recipient’s date of birth:

• Birthdays on the 1st–10th: Second Wednesday of the month (June 11)
• Birthdays on the 11th–20th: Third Wednesday (June 18)
• Birthdays on the 21st–31st: Fourth Wednesday (June 25)

This structure remains unchanged for June 2025.

Social Security Fairness Act Repeals WEP and GPO

In a major legislative shift, the Social Security Fairness Act was signed into law on January 5, 2025, eliminating the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO). These provisions previously reduced benefits for public sector retirees—such as teachers, firefighters, and police officers—who received pensions from jobs not covered by Social Security.

The SSA is currently working through over 3 million benefit recalculations. Roughly 2.3 million straightforward claims are being handled through automation, while around 900,000 more complex cases require manual review, which may delay updated benefit payments for some.

SSA Technology Upgrades and Staffing Cuts

The SSA is rolling out AI-assisted phone technology under its new Next Generation Telephony Project (NGTP) to reduce caller wait times. As of April 2025, the average wait time has dropped to around 20 minutes, a significant improvement from previous years.

However, these improvements come amid internal challenges. The SSA is facing staffing reductions of up to 12 percent, or roughly 7,000 positions, which may impact service delivery and manual claims processing.

Temporary Relief from Student Loan Garnishment

An estimated 452,000 Americans aged 62 and older were previously at risk of Social Security benefit reductions due to defaulted federal student loans. In May 2025, the U.S. Department of Education announced a pause on garnishing Social Security checks for student loan collections, offering temporary financial relief to older borrowers.

COLA Increase in 2025

All Social Security and SSI recipients received a 2.5 percent Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) at the beginning of 2025, reflecting inflation and changes in the Consumer Price Index.

What to Do

Beneficiaries can check their payment status or update information by logging into their mySSA account at www.ssa.gov, or by calling 1-800-772-1213 during business hours.

As changes continue, staying informed and proactive will be key for those relying on Social Security to meet daily needs.