Social Security Changes Mean Money Left on the Table—Claim Your Full $5,181 a Month
Your June check is safe—but is there Social Security money you're still owed?
Key Takeaways
- June Social Security checks will be paid out on schedule with no disruptions to benefits.
- To get the full $5,181 monthly benefit you must work 35 years and wait until age 70 to claim.
- The no-tax-on-Social-Security change has not impacted most Americans due to state-level taxes.
There have been a lot of approved and proposed changes to Social Security this year that have left millions of Americans wondering if they will get their full benefit checks in June and beyond. Well, the good news is that June checks are going to be paid out as normal, but next year’s benefits might be a little different. Below, we share everything you need to know about the latest Social Security updates and reveal how you can get the full $5,181 each month.
What to know about the 2026 Social Security changes
When it comes to 2026 Social Security changes, the biggest ones were the 2.8 percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) amount, the new wage base limit of $184,500 and the change in retirement age. Most of those things happen every year or so, though, meaning that Social Security recipients can prepare for them well in advance.
One thing Social Security recipients couldn’t have prepared for? The field office cuts. In November 2025, Social Security Administration (SSA) commissioner Frank Bisignano said he would halve the number of people who go into field offices in 2026. As part of this, SSA encourages Social Security recipients to view their claim status or access their Social Security number online, instead of going into an office.
“With a secure foundation for serving the American people in place, we are moving quickly to achieve our vision of a digital-first SSA—one that operates at peak efficiency and provides world-class service to every American, whether they call, come into a field office or choose to manage their benefits online,” he said in a statement in November 2025. “To do this, we are continuously improving service through the strategic implementation of technology and data-driven management decisions to further enhance the experience across all customer touchpoints.”
That news was met with considerable backlash from lawmakers, including Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren.
“This sure sounds like another way to make it even harder for Americans to get the benefits they’ve earned,” the Senator wrote on Facebook in December 2025. “I will not stop fighting to protect Social Security.”
Currently, there’s no word on how these cuts have been going. There is also no word on whether the SSA will continue to make cuts throughout the year.
Along with all of that, President Donald Trump announced that he would be cutting taxes on Social Security, as outlined in his One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). He also announced a $6,000 tax break for seniors, which went into effect earlier this year.
A look at how these changes impact Social Security checks
Currently, the only changes impacting Social Security checks are the 2.8 percent COLA, which increased monthly payments; the new retirement age, which raised the full retirement age from 66 to 67 for those born in 1960 or later and the new wage base limit, which affects how much money is subject to Social Security taxes and ultimately influences benefit calculations.
The other changes mainly affected Social Security recipients’ 2025 tax returns and whether they preferred to visit a Social Security office in person.
“The no taxes on Social Security was supposed to help boost people’s checks, but since many states still tax seniors’ benefits, that change really hasn’t impacted a lot of Americans,” says Eric Bronnenkant, the head of tax at Edelman Financial Engines.
The SSA is working on sending out everyone’s May benefits. Then, come June 1, it will start sending out the next wave of checks. You can view the entire June 2026 Social Security payment schedule below.
- Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients will get their payments on Monday, June 1.
- If you received Social Security before May 1997 or are receiving both Social Security and SSI, you’ll get both payments on Wednesday, June 13
- If you were born on the 1st through the 10th of the month, your benefits will be sent out on Wednesday, June 10.
- If you were born on the 11th through the 20th of the month, your benefits will be sent out on Wednesday, June 17.
- If you were born on the 21st through the 31st of the month, your benefits will be sent out on Wednesday, June 24.
How to get the full $5,181 in Social Security benefits
To get the full $5,181 in Social Security benefits, retirees must have worked for 35 years while earning the wage base limit of $184,500. They must also wait to claim their benefits until they turn 70.
If these changes don’t apply to you, experts recommend double-checking that you’re receiving every Social Security benefit you’re entitled to. They also recommend delaying claiming your benefits until you’re at least 70-years-old. Now, neither of those things will get you to the full $5,181, but it can help guarantee you’re collecting every penny you’ve earned.
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