Social Security Administration Issues Reminder Over Paper Check Deadline

On Sept. 30, the agency will stop issuing the federal benefit checks through the mail, with the exception of a small number.

Blank Social Security checks are run through a printer at the U.S. Treasury printing facility in Philadelphia on Feb. 11, 2005. William Thomas Cain/Getty Images

The Social Security Administration (SSA) late last week issued a reminder to some recipients that it will stop sending them paper checks starting this month.

On Sept. 30, the agency will stop issuing benefit checks through the mail. A small number of beneficiaries will have to switch to having their monthly payments sent to them electronically.

“If you still receive paper checks, now is the time to act,” the SSA said in a statement on its website. “To avoid any disruption in payments, you should switch to electronic payment options before September 30.”

The agency wrote on X that recipients should “enroll in direct deposit or Direct Express” by that date, which falls on a Tuesday.

“We will continue to drive down paper check volume, which is less than 1 percent of total, by proactively communicating with beneficiaries about the advantages of enrolling in electronic payments and the process for doing so,” an agency spokesperson told The Epoch Times on July 28.

“Where a beneficiary has no other means to receive payment, we will continue to issue paper checks.”

The statement came as Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) said in a statement that she had “secured key commitments and admissions” from SSA Commissioner Frank Bisignano on a range of changes and that the agency would continue to send paper checks.

The SSA has cited an order signed by President Donald Trump in March that sought to reduce the issuance of paper checks by federal agencies, setting Sept. 30 as the deadline to comply.

“Maintaining the physical infrastructure and specialized technology for digitizing paper records cost the American taxpayer over $657 million in Fiscal Year 2024 alone,” Trump’s order reads, noting that using paper-based systems to make payments “imposes unnecessary costs; delays; and risks of fraud, lost payments, theft, and inefficiencies.”

In July, the SSA said the move to reduce paper check mailings will “modernize payment systems and enhance service delivery” under Trump’s order, providing security and more efficiency.

According to the SSA statement on Sept. 19, people can manage or set up the SSA Direct Deposit program by using a “my Social Security” account. Supplemental Security Income recipients and beneficiaries who live abroad can call 1-800-772-1213 for assistance.

People without a bank account can use the Direct Express card, which is a type of prepaid debit card. Enrollment can be completed by calling 1-800-333-1795 or visiting www.usdirectexpress.com, according to the agency.

SSA figures show that as of September, only about 398,000 beneficiaries receive paper Social Security checks. In contrast, more than 69.1 million beneficiaries receive their benefits through direct deposit.

The IRS for years has called on Americans to use direct deposit rather than paper checks to get their tax refunds, saying it is the fastest way to receive payments.