New $1,968 Social Security Check Alert: Exact 2025 Payment Dates Revealed for Retirees

As the Social Security Administration (SSA) revealed the 2025 cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) on October 10, many people were anxious about how a lower-than-expected adjustment might affect their paychecks and quality of life.

Many analysts and beneficiaries were surprised by the 2.5% adjustment, as they had expected inflation to come down less than it did but to do so before the end of the year so that the increase could offset the 2024 economic volatility. Regardless of the reasons, the increase has been declared, and it is now time to review the budget to see how far the new income will go toward covering the essential expenses.

How much will your Social Security check increase with the new COLA?

Given that no two people have the same journey or receive the same Social Security check, it is hard to predict how the rise will affect everyone. Still, knowing that all checks will increase by the same percentage regardless of the benefit received is comforting. That includes retirement benefits.

Of course, the SSA provides some data that can assist people in estimating how much the rise would affect their finances, but if you want to know how much your specific benefit will increase due to the new COLA, simply multiply your existing benefit by the 2.5% increase. The average Social Security check for retired workers 2024 is roughly $1,920 monthly. It doesn’t make much of a difference, but a few dollars fluctuate each month), which implies that if we apply the COLA, we’ll get a $48 raise. Anything beyond this average will result in a more significant gain; however, individuals who do not receive this amount will have a much lesser boost.

What if the COLA isn’t sufficient?

Many retirees and other beneficiaries ask the same thing, especially after learning that Medicare will raise their Part B costs by approximately $10 per month in the new year. That would imply that the average heck would only get an actual rise of $38 rather than $48.And just because inflation has cooled does not imply that prices have, only that they will hopefully slow their fast rise. Covering expenses has been difficult for many on fixed incomes, and they have had to delve into their already limited reserves in many situations. Still, the most comprehensive answer would be to change how the COLA is calculated from the CPI-W to the CPI-E.

When will the raise be applied to the checks?

The first check to include the rise is Supplemental Security Income, which will be sent on December 31st because January 1st is a national holiday. The remaining installments will be made as scheduled.

• January 3rd: If you received Social Security before May 1997 or both Social Security and SSI, Social Security will be paid on the third and SSI on the first.
• January 8 payouts for people born between the 1st and 10th of each month.
• January 15 payments for those born between the 11th and 20th of each month.
• January 22nd payouts for people born between the 21st and the 31st of each month.