Social Security Makes Major Change to Payments: What to Know
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Paper Social Security checks will no longer be issued as of fall 2025.
Why It Matters
Nearly 500,000 recipients still receive their monthly benefits this way. The White House said the transition to all-digital payments follows large-scale mail theft and increasing fraud involving paper checks during the COVID-19 pandemic. The order outlines that Treasury Department checks "are 16 times more likely to be reported lost or stolen, returned undeliverable, or altered than an electronic funds transfer."
This includes Social Security payments, a small number of which are still issued via paper checks. Critics of the policy have said it could have negative impacts on vulnerable recipients, while supporters have said the change is long overdue.
What To Know
The move to a fully digital payment system for all federal payments was announced in an executive order by President Donald Trump's administration—Modernizing Payments To and From America's Bank Account—on March 25.
As mandated by the executive order "Modernizing Payments To and From America's Bank Account", all federal disbursements—including Social Security, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), vendor payments, and tax refunds—will be distributed electronically after September 30, 2025. Acceptable digital methods include direct deposit, debit and prepaid cards, digital wallets, and real-time payment systems.
Newsweek has contacted the Social Security Administration (SSA) via email outside of regular working hours for clarification on whether it will be meeting this deadline.
According to the SSA, 493,775 remittances were and still are being made via physical check this month, across the 50 states and U.S. territories—some 8.7 percent of all payments.
Certain individuals may continue to receive non-digital payments under specific circumstances, including a lack of access to banking or electronic services, emergencies creating undue hardship, or special law enforcement and national security needs. Requests for exceptions can be initiated with the Department of the Treasury or the SSA, which evaluates on a case-by-case basis. Qualified individuals will be provided with alternative options.
"Digitizing Social Security and all government payments promises significant cost savings and efficiency gains," Brandon Spear, CEO of payment services firm TreviPay, told Newsweek. "However, the September timeline presents logistical challenges—this will not be a fast thing to do as government agencies must navigate this complex transition while ensuring security and accessibility."
Spear said outreach to recipients is absolutely necessary to ensure Americans who have not yet adopted digital payments keep receiving their benefits.
"The government will need to contact with each individual Social Security recipient, receive bank deposit information, confirm that information is collected securely to prevent fraud, as well as communicate this oncoming change effectively to a demographic who may be skeptical about providing banking information this way," he said.
Stock image/file photo: A U.S. Treasury check being opened by a recipient.
Stock image/file photo: A U.S. Treasury check being opened by a recipient.
GETTY
Funding Cuts
It could also be a burden for recipients who may struggle with modern technology, particularly as recent funding opportunities to help Americans get to grips with the digital world have been axed.
"This abrupt shift away from paper Social Security checks will disproportionately harm seniors who lack digital access or confidence navigating online banking," Matt Watkins, founder of Watkins Public Affairs, a firm that helps companies get federal and state grants, told Newsweek. "The timing is especially troubling given that the Trump administration is simultaneously cutting National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) digital equity funding. These resources directly support seniors, low-income households, and others facing barriers to digital adoption."
Watkins said it is "deeply ironic to demand full digital compliance" while "dismantling the very infrastructure designed to make that transition possible," and could lead to beneficiaries missing out on payments and customer service issues, particularly for vulnerable Americans.
"This isn't efficiency; it is exclusion. Without expanded navigator programs, multilingual outreach, and phased implementation, we will see a spike in missed payments, call center backlogs, and preventable financial crises for some of our most vulnerable citizens," he said. "Families can help, but not every senior has someone to rely on. This is a costly and avoidable policy failure."
How Recipients Should Prepare
There are several ways beneficiaries who still get physical checks can prepare for the change:
Using My Social Security: Beneficiaries can enroll for direct deposit and check payment status online. SSA.gov advises keeping personal information up to date, including addresses and payment details.
Beneficiaries can enroll for direct deposit and check payment status online. SSA.gov advises keeping personal information up to date, including addresses and payment details. Fraud Awareness: The SSA issued guidance urging Americans to remain alert for fraudulent communications about payment changes. Officials highlighted that neither the SSA nor the Treasury will ever request payment to set up or expedite benefits.
The SSA issued guidance urging Americans to remain alert for fraudulent communications about payment changes. Officials highlighted that neither the SSA nor the Treasury will ever request payment to set up or expedite benefits. Reporting Hardship: Those facing undue barriers to digital payment can contact SSA or the Electronic Payment Solution Center to discuss alternatives or apply for an exemption.
What Happens Next
The SSA is scheduled to complete the digital payment transition for all federal benefit programs by September 30, 2025. Beneficiaries are encouraged to keep their information updated and to monitor official communications for further updates, guidance, and possible exceptions as the rollout progresses.
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