Social Security update: Second of December double payments worth $914 to be sent out in 15 days

Millions of Supplemental Security Income recipients will get a second monthly payment in December, worth up to $914 for individual filers, in just over two weeks.

The second payment will go out in 15 days, on Friday, Dec. 29, four weeks after the first payment was released. There are two payments sent to beneficiaries during December due to a scheduling quirk that happens multiple times a year. Recipients always get two checks in December because Jan. 1 is a holiday.

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Several other months in 2023 featured rare double payments because the 1st of the next month fell on a weekend or holiday, and there will be several double payments in 2024. There are never payments in January because Jan. 1 is always a holiday.

The maximum payment amounts for beneficiaries depend on how they file. If they file as individuals, the monthly payment rate is $914. The rate for eligible couples for monthly payments is $1,371. Essential persons, who live with someone receiving SSI and provide them with necessary care, get a monthly payment of $458.

To qualify for the payments, recipients must be at least 65 and meet certain financial requirements. Some people under the age of 65, including children, can qualify for the payments if they are at least partially blind or have a physical or mental disability that severely limits their daily activities for at least a year or is expected to result in death, according to the administration.

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Not every recipient will receive the maximum payment, and filers can see a personalized estimate through the Social Security Administration’s calculator. The monthly benefit is expected to rise by 3.2% next year.

SSI payments were first issued by the SSA in January 1974, with payment rates increasing for cost-of-living adjustments since 1975, per the agency.