Social Security SSI payment on April 1: Check eligibility criteria and other key details

Across the United States, nearly 69 million Americans depend on Social Security payments, making the timing of their arrival a crucial concern. Recent developments have brought the program under scrutiny, with restructuring efforts and changes impacting payments, fraud detection, and federal spending.

Restructuring and spending cuts

The newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, has been tasked with overseeing cost-cutting measures within the Social Security program. These measures include job cuts, office closures, revised customer service strategies, and heightened scrutiny for fraud.

Payment distribution overview

Social Security payments are scheduled monthly, with distribution based on birthdates:

Second Wednesday: Birthdates between the 1st and 10th.

Third Wednesday: Birthdates between the 11th and 20th.

Fourth Wednesday: Birthdates after the 20th.

For Supplemental Security Income (SSI), April payments will be sent on April 1.

What is SSI and who is eligible to get benefits?

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is a federal program administered by the Social Security Administration (SSA). It provides monthly financial assistance to individuals with limited income and resources who are blind, age 65 or older, or have a qualifying disability. Children with disabilities or blindness may also qualify for SSI benefits.

Applicants can begin the process online, in person, or via the SSA's helpline.

System outages impact beneficiaries

The Social Security Administration (SSA) is investigating recent incidents that have temporarily prevented beneficiaries from accessing their online accounts. On Monday morning, the MySSA portal, which allows recipients to manage benefits online, experienced a full outage, according to an internal notice sent to agency employees, as per Bloomberg report.

SSA spokeswoman Nicole Tiggemann confirmed the issue, stating that while the website remained operational, some users were unable to log into their accounts. This marks the latest in a series of system crashes in recent weeks, disrupting services at a time when the agency is moving users toward online and in-person support while scaling back telephone-based assistance.