On January 31, 1940 Social Security begins Monthly Benefits

1940 : First social security check arrives

On January 31, 1940, Ida May Fuller of Ludlow, Vermont, popped open her mailbox and found a check from the Federal government worth $22.54. Though hardly a fortune, the check was nonetheless a milestone: indeed, it was the first monthly retirement payment made under the auspices of the Social Security Act. When the act initially passed into the law books in 1935, benefits were paid out in lump sums. But, with Fuller's check, the government kicked off its program of doling out regular benefits to retired workers. For Fuller, it was simply the first in a series of payments that lasted for the next thirty-five years: Before passing away at age 100 in 1975, Fuller received regular payments totaling $22,000.

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