When a citizen of the United States begins to collect a Social Security check every month, he or she is always eligible for SSI. While it is true that several requirements must be met, many Americans who have access to this benefit do not apply for it because they do not know that they can do so.
Well, just like Social Security retirement benefits, Americans can claim SSI and get it every month. This benefit is a sort of supplement to the retirement checks, but it is not mandatory to be a pensioner to get the payment.
Contrary to what many Americans think, the SSI payment does not require prior pensioner status. Therefore, without being a pensioner we can claim the payment. But there are other requirements that are mandatory and, therefore, we must meet them.
But in the case of having SSI accepted we could get up to two different payments in the month of December. This situation is totally irregular, but it is possible to cash these two checks in the same month thanks to a small change in the payment schedule.
HOW TO GET TWO SSI PAYMENTS IN DECEMBER 2023?
Ssi payments always arrive on the 1st of each month. However, when that day is a holiday or a weekend, the payment is made on a different day. To be exact, the Administration sends out SSI checks on the immediately preceding business day when the 1st of the month is a weekend or holiday.
With the 1st of December there is no change, as it is a normal working day. But the change will come on the 1st of January, since that day is a holiday. As this happens, the immediately preceding working day is December 29th, which causes the Administration to send the payment in advance.
This means that since it is a January payment, in reality the check for December 29th is from the 2024 calendar. Therefore, we will have 3.2% of the COLA added to this payment.
So you can expect to get two SSI payments in the month of December and the two payments will be different amounts. The payment on the 1st of December will have the usual amount, but the payment on the 29th of December will have the 2024 COLA added to it.
On the 1st of December we will have a maximum of $914, but on the 29th of December that maximum will reach $943. After the last payment in December, all checks for this benefit will be able to reach this amount.
Then to get both checks in December you must activate Direct Deposit. With this collection method you could get the payment in the same moment that Social Security Administration will send it. If you do not have this collection method activated you will not be able to have double SSI payment in December because the check will arrive some days later.
