If you receive Social Security in any of its forms, today we have an update that’s going to affect you. We’re going to be talking about that March payment schedule, as well as some other major changes that have happened recently at Social Security, new privacy concerns, timelines, and all sorts of different things. So let’s dive into what every Social Security beneficiary needs to know right now.
This is a transcript of our video. You can watch the full video on our YouTube channel: Low Income Relief.
New Privacy Changes At Social Security
We’re going to start with some privacy news. You may have seen a recent Common Dreams report that talked about how the Social Security Administration will now be directing workers to share appointment information with ICE—that’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement. This is a major shift in how your private data is handled.
This is not likely to affect you if you’re a U.S. citizen. However, if you bring a non-citizen relative to translate, or if you have family members who lack documentation, I thought you may want to be aware of that change.
We’re going to get into some more data-sharing changes they’re making here in just a minute that are going to affect people on disability and so on and so forth, but I wanted to let you know about that right as we begin.
March Social Security Payment Schedule
Now let’s talk about that March payment schedule.
If you are on SSI, by now you’ve probably seen loads of misleading headlines about how you’re not getting paid in the month of March. That is technically true because your check is going to hit a little bit early, since March 1st is on a Sunday.
If you’ve been on SSI for any length of time, then you already know that’s how it works. When weekends and holidays hit, your payment comes a little bit early.
Because April 1st is on a Wednesday, that means you will be receiving an SSI check on February 27th and then not again until April 1st. That’s where those headlines about no payments in March are coming from.
If you receive SSI and other forms of Social Security, like disability, or if you were receiving your Social Security benefits prior to 1997, you will get those payments on Tuesday, March 3rd.
For the rest of you who are on the Wednesday schedule, depending on the day of your birthday, you will receive those benefits on March 11th, March 18th, or March 25th, as shown in our table.
New Data-Sharing Initiative (TEFCA)
Now that we’ve got those payment dates out of the way, let’s talk about this data-sharing initiative they’re working on.
The Social Security Administration just joined TEFCA. That stands for the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement. This is a program that allows different agencies to share your health information electronically and access your medical records.
This is basically a digital express lane that’s going to help you avoid mailing paper that might get lost in a warehouse or be hard to find. It’s supposed to streamline things for beneficiaries.
But I know we’ve had a lot of concerns lately about data sharing from the Social Security Administration. In fact, I saw a headline just this morning about how the DOJ made a statement that seemed to corroborate that DOGE had mishandled Social Security data and potentially exposed a lot of information.
Whenever it comes to consolidating information, breaking down silos between agencies, or getting all of your data accessible in one place, it’s generally helpful because it reduces paperwork. But it also puts that data at greater risk because it’s easier for hackers to get to it.
As a result of this TEFCA integration, they’re saying disability decisions could be made much faster. It could cut that wait time in half. That’s the good news.
The less good news is that it could potentially put your data at risk. There could be more data shared than you wanted. They do say that TEFCA is secure. It’s a network of networks, and they’re saying it shouldn’t cause any issues.
But then again, we shouldn’t have seen some of the issues we saw earlier, either. So you never really know, unfortunately.
Your Questions Answered
I love it when you ask us questions, and we want to do our best to answer those. We went through our recent comments to pull out questions related to Social Security.
Karen asked about the death benefit. She said, “Do you know if a person can go back to Social Security years later and get that $255 death benefit if they are the beneficiary?”
The answer is yes, depending on how long it’s been. There is a strict deadline. You have a two-year window after your loved one passes away to claim that death benefit. If you wait longer than two years, you can’t get it. So if you’re within that two-year window, contact Social Security immediately to begin that claim.
Shantae asked when the $200 boost will begin. Specifically, she said, “When will the $200 be added to Social Security in general? What is the update with the stimulus or the tariff checks? Is there any new information?”
Unfortunately, we don’t have any new information on any of those things yet. Nothing has been formally approved. That $200 Social Security increase we were really hoping to see never moved out of committee, so nothing is official there. There are no confirmed stimulus or tariff checks coming at this time, either. Right now, it’s all just talk.
If anything changes in that regard, you’d better believe we will be right here on YouTube telling you all of those details. But as of right now, you can’t really count on those.
I know that’s discouraging, and I know a lot of you really need more assistance than you’re getting. I don’t want you to despair. There are all sorts of legitimate assistance programs out there that are still operating. They’re just a little more complicated. That’s basically the entire purpose of our channel—finding those and bringing them to you to make them easier to use.
If you’re having difficulty with certain expenses or need more breathing room in your budget, I would really encourage you to go through some of our older videos to find other forms of assistance you may qualify for.
If you have a question like Karen or Shantae, drop it in the comments of our videos. When we’re creating videos now, we go through those comments and look to see what we can answer for you. If you send us an email, we can’t catch that in our searches. The best way to get your questions answered by me directly is to put them in the comments.
You’re still welcome to email our team if there’s more sensitive information you don’t want to share publicly. Just be aware that it takes us longer to answer emails than it does to answer YouTube comments.
Setting Up A My Social Security Account
Wayne asked, “Can you help me make an online Social Security account, the my Social Security account?”
Unfortunately, I can’t help you set that up directly. I recommend asking a trusted family member, maybe a tech-savvy grandchild or relative, to help you. If you don’t have someone you trust or who’s easily available, you can also reach out for assistance at your local senior center or your local library. A lot of times they have volunteers who can help you.
You will need to verify your identity through ID.me as part of that setup. That requires a smartphone or a computer with a camera, and you’ll also need your ID.
We know that over 100 million people have set up these accounts now, and they’re definitely celebrating that achievement. A lot of people are finding it’s worth the effort to jump through these hoops because then you can check your benefits, update your information, get tax forms, and so on without waiting on hold or visiting an office.
That being said, I know the setup can be a headache. So definitely reach out to your library, your local senior center, or your Area Agency on Aging to see if you can get some in-person help.
Extra Help And Resources
If you need help applying for SSDI, we have a sponsor that can help you. They’ll do a free claim review to see what you might be eligible for, and they may even be able to help you get in contact with an attorney who can help with your case.
As always, our incredible sponsor, Chapter, is available to answer any of your Medicare questions. They are a fantastic resource. I talk to them all the time when I have questions. They are very helpful, and the conversations are always free. I recommend giving them a call about anything Medicare-related.
With that in mind, I’d like to point you to some of the other resources we’ve put out recently. For example, we did a great video on how accepting help from your family can cut your SSI check by a third. If you’re on SSI, you definitely want to check that out to make sure you have that information and you’re not putting your benefits at risk.
We’ll be back soon with more Social Security news for you. I hope this has been helpful. Please share it with someone who may benefit, and don’t forget to drop those comments below so we can get those answered for you soon.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in the content on this website are solely those of the content creators and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or positions of the Social Security Administration, Medicare, Chapter, or its affiliates. Chapter makes no representations or warranties regarding the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information provided. All content is intended for informational, educational, or entertainment purposes only and should not be interpreted as official positions of the Social Security Administration, Medicare, Chapter, or its affiliates. Chapter disclaims any liability for actions taken based on this content.
If you need assistance with Medicare, please reach out to Medicare, your local State Health Insurance Program (SHIP), your current Medicare insurance agent/broker/plan, or contact our Medicare partner, Chapter, at 417-319-2139 or visit their website at https://lirlinks.com/chapter. Chapter: Memoir, Inc. d/b/a Chapter is a privately owned, data- and technology-enabled advisory service helping older Americans navigate retirement. Insurance agency services are provided by Chapter Advisory, LLC, a licensed health insurance agency and wholly owned subsidiary of Memoir, Inc. In California, Chapter Advisory, LLC does business as Chapter Insurance Services (Lic. No. 6003691).Chapter and its affiliates are not connected with or endorsed by any government entity or the federal Medicare program. Chapter Advisory, LLC represents Medicare Advantage HMO, PPO, and PFFS organizations as well as stand-alone prescription drug plans with Medicare contracts. Enrollment depends on the renewal of those contracts. While Chapter maintains a comprehensive database of Medicare plans nationwide and assists in searching all options, Chapter has contracts with many, but not all, plans. Therefore, Chapter does not offer every plan available in your area. Chapter recommends plans even if they are not directly offered through Chapter. For complete Medicare plan options, please visit Medicare.gov, call 1-800-Medicare, or contact your local SHIP office.