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Social Security Inflation Calculations

Extra rules for those born on the 1st or 2nd of the month

Jun 05, 2022

Social Security calculates and pays benefits monthly. However there are still several rules that are affected by the day of the month that you were born.

Eligibility

Eligibility rules have to do with what month you are first eligible to recieve social security benefits. There are a couple rules that interact with the day of the month:

1. Social Security is based on English Common Law which states that you "attain" a particular age on the day before your birthday. So, if you are born on May 1, you will attain age 62 on April 30.
2. You are eligible for a benefit on the first month that you are a particular age through the entire month.

Rule #2 interacts with rule #1. Let's illustrate with three example birthdays:

• May 1, 1960: Attained 62 on April 30, 2022. First month age 62 through the entire month is May, 2022.
• May 2, 1960: Attained 62 on May 1, 2022. First month age 62 through the entire month is May, 2022.
• May 3, 1960: Attained 62 on May 2, 2022. First month age 62 through the entire month is June, 2022.

Some resources will tell you that the first month you can begin benefits is 62 + 1 month. The third example above shows where this comes from, but it doesn't apply if you were born on the 1st or 2nd of a month.

Benefit Payment Date

In most cases, the date of payment is also based on the day of the month you were born:

• If you were born on the 1st through the 10th of the month, you’ll be paid on the second Wednesday of the month.
• If you were born on the 11th through the 20th of the month, you’ll be paid on the third Wednesday of the month.
• If you were born after the 20th of the month, you’ll be paid on the fourth Wednesday of the month.

There are some exceptions though. If you recieve a benefit based on someone else's work record, such as a spousal benefit, this will be paid the same day as the primary beneficiary.

There are also certain recipients who may recieve payment on the 3rd of the month:

• You filed for benefits before May 1, 1997
• You also receive a Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payment;
• Your Medicare premiums are paid for by the state where you live.
• You live in a foreign country.

And finally federal holidays or weekends bump the payment to the non-holiday weekday immediately after the scheduled date.

Another way to view the payment date is the Schedule of Social Security Benefit Payments 2022:

When you enter your birthdate into the SSA.Tools Calculator, these rules are taken into account for you.