Social Security benefits are undergoing a major change starting April 2025. The Social Security Administration (SSA) will require in-person identity verification for certain applicants, replacing online verification. This move aims to prevent fraud but raises concerns, especially for seniors and rural residents.
The Social Security Administration is adopting more stringent identity verification procedures beginning April 14, 2025, to "further safeguard Social Security records and benefits against fraudulent activity." Those who use their my Social Security account to make changes like address updates and direct deposit changes ...
In 2025, Social Security saw a 2.5% Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA), increasing average benefits, alongside ongoing discussions about long-term solvency, with the trust fund still projected to deplete by 2033, potentially leading to benefit cuts, while new legislation, the Social Security Fairness Act, began adjusting payments for some affected by WEP/GPO. Key changes for 2025 included higher SSI rates, increased taxable maximums for Social Security, and continued pushes for better online services and electronic payments from the SSA.
The maximum Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payment for 2025 is $967 per month for an individual and $1,450 per month for a couple, effective January 1, 2025, due to a 2.5% Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA). Your actual payment in April 2025 will be this federal maximum unless you have countable income or live in a state that provides a supplemental payment, which could lower your amount.
The latest COLA is 2.8 percent for Social Security benefits and SSI payments. Social Security benefits will increase by 2.8 percent beginning with the December 2025 benefits, which are payable in January 2026. Federal SSI payment levels will also increase by 2.8 percent effective for payments made for January 2026.
The extra $144 added to Social Security usually comes from the Medicare Part B Giveback benefit, offered by some Medicare Advantage (Part C) plans, which pays back some or all your Part B premium, showing up as extra money in your check if it's deducted from your Social Security. To qualify, you need Original Medicare (Parts A & B), pay your own Part B premium, live in a plan's service area, and enroll in a specific Medicare Advantage plan that offers this "rebate," with the amount varying by plan and location.
Beneficiaries who get Supplemental Security Income (SSI) will get two checks in the month of May. The first check, due on May 1, is the benefit for the month of May 2025. A second check is due on May 30, the benefit check for the month of June.
The cost of living increase for 2026 is primarily marked by the Social Security Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA), which is 2.8%, effective January 2026, raising average benefits by about $56 monthly. This is a slight increase from the 2.5% COLA in 2025, reflecting moderate inflation in late 2025, with overall inflation ending fiscal year 2025 around 3.01%, though projections for 2026 suggest inflation might settle around 2.8%.
Millions of Social Security recipients automatically received COVID-19 stimulus payments through the IRS using SSA and RRB data. Payments included up to $1,200 per individual in round one, $600 in round two, and $1,400 in round three, with extra amounts for dependents.
According to the June 2025 Social Security trustees report, the fund reserves that help pay for Social Security benefits will be depleted in 2033. Benefits won't run out, but retirees would then only be able to receive 77% of their full benefits.
The dollar amount increase to checks will vary depending on a person's benefit amount, but the average Social Security Retirement benefit, $2,008.31 in July 2025, will grow by about $56.
A few times a year, recipients of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) receive two payments in a month. But those double deposits aren't extra money. They're early payments for the following month.
The 2.8 percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) will begin with benefits payable to nearly 71 million Social Security beneficiaries in January 2026. Increased payments to nearly 7.5 million SSI recipients will begin on December 31, 2025. (Note: Some people receive both Social Security and SSI benefits.)
If Social Security isn't enough, you should supplement your income through other savings (401k, IRAs, brokerage accounts), explore government aid like SSI, SNAP, and Medicaid, consider working part-time, use programs like NCOA's BenefitsCheckUp to find assistance, potentially delay claiming benefits for a higher monthly payout, or look into annuities for guaranteed income.
Yes, Social Security recipients received a Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) for 2025, but the bigger news is that they are getting a larger 2.8% COLA for 2026, announced in October 2025, which began with January 2026 payments, increasing average benefits by about $56 per month. The 2025 COLA was a smaller 2.5% increase, while the 2026 adjustment reflects moderating inflation, leading to higher payments starting in the new year.
Visit the IRS Get My Payment (GMP) portal at https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus/get-my-payment to see if you can expect a 2021 Economic Impact Payment. The GMP portal will provide the date when your payment was or will be sent.
Qualification for the $1,400 stimulus check (the third Economic Impact Payment) in 2021 depended on your 2021 Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) and filing status, with full amounts for single filers earning up to $75,000 (phasing out at $80,000) and joint filers up to $150,000 (phasing out at $160,000), plus $1,400 per dependent; you needed a valid Social Security Number and had to claim it as the Recovery Rebate Credit on your 2021 tax return if you missed the payment, with deadlines typically in April 2025.