September 2018 SSDI payment schedule

In September 2018, Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) payments were sent on three separate dates, depending on your birth date. The payment schedule was determined by the day of the month you were born, not by when you filed or when your case was approved.

If you were born between the 1st and 10th of any month, your payment arrived on Wednesday, September 5, 2018. If you were born between the 11th and 20th, you received your payment on Wednesday, September 12, 2018. If you were born on the 21st or later, your payment arrived on Wednesday, September 19, 2018.

These dates applied only to people receiving SSDI based on their own work record. Supplemental Security Income (SSI), which is a separate program, followed a different schedule and paid on the first of each month — in this case, Friday, September 1, 2018. If you received both SSDI and SSI, you would have received two separate payments on two different dates.

Key Takeaways

  • SSDI payments in September 2018 arrived on three dates: September 5, 12, or 19, based on your birth date.
  • Your birth date determined your payment date every month — people born on the 1st through 10th always pay on the first Wednesday, the 11th through 20th on the second Wednesday, and the 21st through 31st on the third Wednesday.
  • SSI payments, if you received them, arrived separately on September 1, 2018, regardless of your birth date.
  • Payments were deposited directly to your bank account or sent by check, depending on how you had set up your account with Social Security.

How the birth date system worked

Social Security staggered SSDI payments across three Wednesdays each month to spread out the volume of transactions and reduce processing strain on the system. This meant that millions of people did not all receive their money on the same day.

Your birth date was permanent — it did not change from month to month or year to year. If you were born on March 17, you would always receive your SSDI payment on the second Wednesday of every month for as long as you received benefits. This made it straightforward to plan around your payment date once you knew which group you fell into.

The system applied to all SSDI recipients, whether you were receiving benefits as a disabled worker, as a widow or widower, or as an adult child of a deceased or disabled worker. The only exception was SSI, which had its own separate payment date.

What happened if your payment date fell on a holiday

When a scheduled payment date fell on a federal holiday or weekend, Social Security moved the payment earlier, not later. In September 2018, none of the three payment dates (the 5th, 12th, or 19th) fell on a holiday, so all payments went out as scheduled.

If a payment date had fallen on a weekend or holiday, you would have received your money on the last business day before that date. This meant you could sometimes receive your payment a day or two early, but never late.

How you received your payment

In 2018, Social Security required all new beneficiaries to receive payments by direct deposit into a bank account. If you had been receiving SSDI before 2011, you might have been receiving a paper check instead, but Social Security was actively moving people toward direct deposit.

If your payment was set up for direct deposit, the money appeared in your account on the scheduled payment date. If you were still receiving a paper check, the check was mailed several days before the payment date so it would arrive around the same time as direct deposits were processed.

You could change your payment method by contacting Social Security directly. Many people switched to direct deposit because it was faster, more find, and did not require a trip to the bank to cash the check.

Checking your specific payment date

If you were unsure which payment date applied to you in September 2018, you could find out by logging into your my Social Security account online or by calling Social Security's main number. Your payment date was listed on your benefit statement, which was updated each month.

You could also look at your previous payments — if you received a payment in August 2018, the date it arrived would tell you which group you were in, since the schedule repeated every month. For example, if your August payment came on the 8th, you knew you were born between the 1st and 10th, so your September payment would arrive on the 5th.

Why payment dates matter for planning

Knowing your exact payment date helped you manage bills and expenses. If your rent or mortgage was due on the 10th of the month, and your payment did not arrive until the 19th, you would need to plan ahead or use savings to cover the gap.

Many people set up automatic bill payments that went out a few days after their known payment date, so the money would be in their account before the payment left. Others arranged with landlords or creditors to accept payment a few days after the official due date, once they knew when their SSDI would arrive.

Frequently Asked Questions

Did everyone on SSDI get paid on the same day in September 2018?

No. SSDI payments were split across three Wednesdays based on birth date. SSI recipients got paid on September 1. Only people born on the same dates within a month received their payments on the same day.

What if I was born on the 20th — did I get paid on the second or third Wednesday?

If you were born on the 20th, you received your payment on the second Wednesday (September 12). The cutoff was the 20th and earlier for the second group, and the 21st and later for the third group.

Could I request a different payment date if the scheduled one did not work for me?

No. Your payment date was determined by your birth date and could not be changed. However, you could set up automatic bill payments or arrange with creditors to accept payment a few days after your scheduled date.

If I received both SSDI and SSI in September 2018, when did I get paid?

You received two separate payments. Your SSI came on September 1, and your SSDI came on your birth-date-based date (the 5th, 12th, or 19th). The two programs paid independently of each other.

How did I know if my payment was sent by direct deposit or check?

If you set up direct deposit, the money appeared in your bank account on the payment date. If you received a check, it was mailed several days before and arrived in your mailbox around the same time. You could see your payment method in your my Social Security account online.