The short answer
Federal benefit payments are now electronic. Under an executive order signed in March 2025, Treasury stopped issuing most paper checks on September 30, 2025, and Social Security and SSI benefits are paid in one of two ways: by direct deposit to a bank or credit union account, or onto a Direct Express prepaid debit card for people without an account. Paper checks continue only in rare cases where an exception is granted. To switch, use your my Social Security account, call 1-800-772-1213, or visit a local Social Security office; SSI recipients must call or visit. Have your routing and account numbers ready, keep the old arrangement in place until the first deposit arrives, and never give bank details to someone who contacts you. State benefits such as unemployment, SNAP and TANF follow their own state rules.
What changed, and who it affects
An executive order signed in March 2025 directed federal agencies to move to electronic payments, and Treasury stopped issuing paper checks for most federal payments on September 30, 2025. Social Security says federal law now requires Social Security and Supplemental Security Income benefits to be paid electronically. The change reaches other federal payments too, including veterans' benefits, federal retirement and most individual tax refunds, which the IRS now issues electronically except in limited cases.
State programs are separate. Unemployment insurance, SNAP and TANF are paid by the states, which already deliver most benefits by direct deposit, a state debit card or an EBT card. Nothing in the federal change alters how those programs pay you, though each has its own rules for changing your payment method.
The two ways to be paid
Direct deposit
Direct deposit sends your payment to a checking or savings account at a bank or credit union, in your name or held jointly with you. It is usually the cheapest and fastest option, and the money is available on your payment date. If you do not have an account, many banks and credit unions offer low-cost accounts with no overdraft fees and no minimum balance; ask for one when you open it.
Direct Express
Direct Express is a prepaid debit card from Treasury for people who receive federal benefits and do not have a bank account. Your payment is loaded onto the card each month, and you can use it in stores, get cash at ATMs and pay bills. No credit check or bank account is required. Basic use is free, but some services, such as certain ATM withdrawals, can carry fees, so read the fee schedule that comes with the card.
Signing up for either option costs nothing. The choice is yours, and you can change it later.
How to switch from a paper check
- Choose where the money will go, and open an account or ask about Direct Express if you need to.
- Find your routing number and account number. Both are printed at the bottom of a check and shown in your bank's app or website.
- Tell Social Security. If you receive Social Security, sign in to your my Social Security account, call 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778), or visit a local office. Social Security says the online service is not available to people who receive SSI, who should call or visit instead.
- Ask when the first electronic payment will arrive.
- Keep your old arrangement working until it does. Do not close an account that still receives payments.
Example (hypothetical): switching without a bank account
Earl, 79, has always cashed his Social Security check at a store and has no bank account. He calls Social Security, asks to be paid on a Direct Express card, and receives the card in the mail. His next payment is loaded onto it on his usual payment date, and he uses the card to pay his electric bill and to withdraw cash at a network ATM.
When the money arrives
Going electronic does not change your payment date. Social Security retirement, disability and survivor benefits are generally paid on a Wednesday that depends on your birthday:
- Birthday on the 1st to the 10th: the second Wednesday of the month.
- Birthday on the 11th to the 20th: the third Wednesday.
- Birthday on the 21st to the 31st: the fourth Wednesday.
- Benefits that began before May 1997, or that are paid alongside SSI: the 3rd of the month.
- SSI: the 1st of the month.
When a payment date falls on a weekend or federal holiday, the payment arrives on the business day before. If a payment does not appear, check with your bank first, then call Social Security. For more on how benefits are figured, see our guides to Social Security and SSI.
Can I still get a paper check?
Only in rare cases. The executive order allows limited exceptions, and Social Security describes them as extremely rare. Requests go through the agency that pays you, and Social Security's page on electronic payments explains how to ask. In 2026 Treasury proposed updating the rules on when paper checks may still be issued, so check with the agency for the current process.
If your reason is that you have no bank account, Direct Express is the option built for that situation, so an exception is seldom the first step. A representative payee or someone else who helps manage your money can help you set up either option.
If you manage benefits for someone else
A representative payee, the person or organization Social Security names to manage someone's benefits, must also be paid electronically. Social Security requires payees to keep the beneficiary's money separate from their own, in an account titled to show that the money belongs to the beneficiary, so set up that kind of account rather than using your personal one. A payee can also receive the payments on a Direct Express card in the beneficiary's name.
If a Direct Express card is lost or stolen, report it right away using the customer service number on the program's official website, so that the card can be locked and a replacement sent. Keep the number somewhere other than your wallet. A bank account holder should do the same with the bank if a debit card goes missing.
Keeping your payment safe
Scammers use news about payments to ask for bank details. Social Security does not call or text to demand payment or to ask you to confirm an account number, and it does not charge to set up direct deposit. Make changes only in your own my Social Security account, through the number on ssa.gov, or in person. Our guide to spotting benefit scams lists the warning signs.
A my Social Security account can send alerts when your address or direct deposit information changes, which helps you notice a change you did not make. Check your first deposits against the amount on your benefit letter.
Common mistakes
- Closing the old account before the first deposit arrives in the new one.
- Giving account details to a caller who claims to be helping with the switch.
- Forgetting to update direct deposit when you change banks. Report the change to Social Security first; see our guide to reporting changes.
- Assuming a state benefit changed too. Check with the state agency that pays it.
- Leaving a federal tax refund to a paper check instead of entering account details on the return.
If you are moving at the same time, our guide to moving to another state covers the other updates to make.
Common questions
Did Social Security stop sending paper checks?
Yes, for nearly everyone. Since September 30, 2025, Social Security pays Social Security and SSI benefits electronically, by direct deposit or on a Direct Express card. Paper checks continue only where a rare exception is granted.
Do I need a bank account to receive Social Security?
No. People without a bank account can have their benefits loaded onto a Direct Express prepaid debit card instead.
How do I change my direct deposit?
Sign in to your my Social Security account, call 1-800-772-1213, or visit a local Social Security office. If you receive SSI, call or visit, because the online service is not available to SSI recipients.
Will switching change my payment date?
No. Your payment date stays the same. It depends on your birthday, when your benefits began and whether you receive SSI.
What this does not tell you
This article covers federal payments only. State benefits such as unemployment insurance, SNAP and TANF are delivered under each state's rules, so check with the state agency that pays you.
Phone numbers, exception procedures and account options can change. Check ssa.gov for current instructions. This site does not process payments or change your account.
Official sources
What you can do next
If you still receive a paper check, sign in to your my Social Security account or call Social Security to arrange direct deposit or a Direct Express card. If you are newly retired, you can also estimate your Social Security benefit.
