Retired Americans to Receive $4,873 from Social Security: October Payment Dates Announced!

Now, attempting to get the highest Social Security payment of $4,873 per month in October is challenging but doable. If you meet these requirements, you can add an immeasurable boost to your retirement income from the Social Security Administration (SSA). The payment date for retirees who become eligible in October will be different across the board. It’s time to break down what it takes to get that big Social Security payment and what that schedule looks like for retirees this month.

Payday

Four distinct paydays await Social Security recipients in October. These dates are simply the instructions from the SSA determined by when you filed for benefits and when you were born. Here’s how the payment schedule works:

• October 3: Retirees receiving benefits before May 1997 receive this payday. On this day, payments will be made to those receiving both Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security retirement benefits. But SSI is only available if you have low income and it’s unlikely you’ll get the maximum of $4,873 of SSI.
• October 9: If you started getting benefits after April 30, 1997 and your birthday is between the 1st and 10th of the month, your payment will go on this date.
• October 16: If you apply for benefits after 30th April 1997 and your birthday falls between the 11th and 20th, then this is your payday.
• October 23: Those born between the 21st and the 31st who filed after April 30, 1997, will get their checks by the end of the day today.

Most people will get a minimum of $1,920, although those lucky enough will get the most $4,873.

Reaching $4,873

Most retirees get paid an average Social Security check of about $1,920 per month, but there’s nothing wrong with earning much more. But only a minority of Americans are eligible for the top amount, which is $4,873. However, achieving this requires meeting a few conditions that many workers struggle to comply with. Here’s what it takes:

Age Requirement

To get the maximum benefit in Social Security, you must wait until age 70 to file. It’s true that you can begin to claim Social Security benefits starting at age 62, but by waiting until age 70, you can get the most each month. Late filers get the SSA’s reward and the benefits rise by a certain amount each year you go late after full retirement age, up to 70.

Work Duration

To get the top amount, you have to have worked for at least 35 years. From these years, Social Security will determine your benefit from your top 35 years of earnings. If you haven’t worked for 35 years, putting zeros in your average will cut your potential benefits.

Earnings Threshold

You also need to work for 35 years, and that’s just to hit the cap in each of those years. The taxable maximum for 2024 is $168,600. In essence, you happen to be required to have attained at or above this threshold on a consistent basis. For most people, this is one of the hardest requirements to meet.

Social Security Taxable Jobs

You also need to have worked in jobs that paid Social Security taxes. Some government or railroad jobs aren’t covered by Social Security. As a result, even the highest earners could miss it (social security) if their job wasn’t taxable under social security.

Payment Schedule

To summarize the payment dates for October, based on your eligibility:

Birth Date	Payment Date	Maximum Payment
Applied before May 1997	October 3	Up to $4,873
Born 1st – 10th, after April 1997	October 9	Up to $4,873
Born 11th – 20th, after April 1997	October 16	Up to $4,873
Born 21st – 31st, after April 1997	October 23	Up to $4,873

The average payment that most retirees will get is $1,920, but those who qualify for the tightest criteria will instead see $4,873. Also know this: These payments aren’t yet adjusted for the 2025 Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA), which will come into effect for payments after October.

Making it to the top Social Security payout doesn’t come easy and isn’t planned just any old way. It’s possible, but it will be difficult for most average American workers to hit those milestones. But you can still significantly boost your benefits by doing all this with smart planning and smart retirement timing decisions.

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