Extra Social Security Payments: Who Will Receive Additional $200 in January 2023?

In nine days, Social Security beneficiaries will get their next monthly retirement payments, which are now valued at $1,681 on average.

Social Security recipients who were born between the first and tenth of their birth month will receive their regular checks on December 14; those who were born between the eleventh and thirty-first of any month will receive their benefits later in the month.

Additional $200 in Social Security Payments

Beneficiaries get their monthly retirement payments in three waves, each of which happens on a Wednesday. The beneficiaries' birthdays are used to split the payment waves, as per The Washington Examiner.

People who were born on the 11th through the 20th of their birth month always receive their second wave of checks on the third Wednesday of each month; the payment for this month will be sent to that group on December 21.

The Social Security Administration has announced that the third wave of payments will be distributed on Wednesday, December 28, for people who were born on the 21st through the 31st of their birth month. These Social Security benefits are based on lifetime earnings and are not subject to resource or income restrictions. According to the SSA, the average monthly benefit for retirees is about $1,681 as of October.

That sum might increase by around $146 to $1,822 per month when the SSA implements the 2023 Cost-of-Living Adjustment the following year. Given that many seniors on fixed incomes struggle to keep up with inflation, this boost falls short of the $200 some retirees had hoped to see increase in their benefits.

All recipients of Social Security payments, including wives, children, and survivors of dead employees, will experience a rise of 8.7% overall. The same holds true for people who receive Supplemental Security Income and Social Security Disability Insurance.

The recipients most likely to get a benefit boost when the 2023 COLA is implemented are retired employees who receive Social Security payments. This shouldn't be surprising given that retirees already receive the highest benefits. The second-largest rise would also affect handicapped employees qualified for disability insurance, rising by an estimated $119.

However, for other people, this increase of almost nine points won't be sufficient to keep them out of poverty. Ramsey Alwin, the president of the National Council on Aging (NCOA), brought attention to the problems that many elders experience. While a positive move, Alwin feels that many seniors, especially those who are women and people of color, will certainly find it difficult to afford housing and healthcare, AS.com reported.

Social Security Payments: December Schedule

The following is the timetable for when you could get your Social Security check and/or SSI payments in December, according to CNET via MSN:

December 1: For individuals who get SSI payment.
December 2: Payment from Social Security for people who receive both SSI and Social Security or who have been receiving Social Security benefits since before May 1997.
December 14: For people whose birthdays come between the first and tenth of any given month, Social Security will pay them.
December 21: Social Security benefits for those whose birthdays fall on the eleventh through the twentieth of any given month.
December 28: Payment from Social Security for people whose birthdays fall on the 21st through the 31st in any given month.
December 30:The January SSI check. The COLA rise will appear on this check.

Keep in mind that November's last payment was due on November 23. The SSA advises waiting three more mailing days before contacting if, due to your birth date or other reasons, your check doesn't arrive on the day specified above. You can then contact 800-772-1213 to talk with a representative if you still haven't gotten it.

The SSA emphasizes that wait times are shorter Wednesday through Friday and later in the day to talk with a representative (between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. local time). Visit ssa.gov/myaccount to view your Social Security benefits online while you wait.