The Social Security Administration (SSA) is following its regular payment schedule for August 2025, with millions of Americans receiving their retirement, disability, and other benefits across three weekly cycles based on their birth date. However, this month may not go as expected for everyone. While payments are proceeding on schedule, some beneficiaries could see a surprising deduction from their monthly checks due to unresolved overpayment issues.
According to a recent report from the SSA’s Office of Inspector General, the agency made $13.6 billion in overpayments between 2020 and 2023. These overpayments mostly occurred because beneficiaries failed to report changes in income or health conditions that could affect their benefit amounts. As a result, many recipients unknowingly received more money than they were legally entitled to.
Now, in a bid to recover those funds, the SSA is expected to withhold up to 50% of monthly checks from those who were overpaid and have not started paying the money back. This action is in line with SSA policy, which allows the agency to recover funds if it determines that a beneficiary was overpaid—even if the mistake was unintentional. For affected recipients, this can come as a surprise, especially if they were unaware of any issue.
Despite this, the routine payment schedule for August remains unchanged. Here are the remaining Social Security payment dates for the month:
Beneficiaries born between the 1st and 10th of the month will receive their payment on Wednesday, August 13. Those with birthdays between the 11th and 20th will be paid on Wednesday, August 20, while those born between the 21st and 31st will receive their deposit on Wednesday, August 27.
Individuals who began receiving Social Security benefits before May 1997 follow a different schedule. Their payments are always issued on the third day of the month, so they already received their August payment on August 1, since the 3rd fell on a weekend.
Social Security payments are made to different categories of recipients, including those receiving retirement benefits, Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), survivor benefits, and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). These groups rely on their monthly benefits to cover basic living expenses, making any disruption or reduction in payments particularly stressful.
If your expected payment hasn’t arrived on time, the SSA advises checking the status through your My Social Security account online. You can also contact the agency by phone or visit your local SSA office to resolve any delay or issue. Missing or late payments may be caused by banking errors, processing delays, or errors in the information on file.
As the SSA moves forward with recovering overpayments, it’s essential for beneficiaries to keep their records updated, report any income or health changes, and respond to SSA notices promptly to avoid unexpected deductions. If you believe you’ve been overpaid but have not received a notice, it’s a good idea to contact the SSA proactively.
