The check is no longer in the mail. On Tuesday, the Social Security Administration announced that it is completing its phase-out of paper checks.
The transition from paper to digital payments has been a long time coming. An executive order issued in March 2025 mandated that all federal government payments be distributed electronically via direct deposit, debit or credit card payments, digital wallets or real-time transfers. It set a target date of Sept. 30, 2025, for paper checks to be largely eliminated.
In August, a Social Security spokesperson told Money that more than 99% of beneficiaries were already receiving their payments electronically. In the ensuing months, the agency has been working to transition the fewer than 1% of beneficiaries still receiving paper checks to electronic payments.
“Social Security plans to complete the full transition to electronic payments for all beneficiaries this year,” the agency said in this week’s announcement, which was posted on its Social Security Matters blog.
It’s more efficient to process digital payments than to send checks via the U.S. Postal Service. It costs more than $3 to print and mail each individual check; plus, paper checks are 16 times more likely to be lost, stolen or delayed, according to government data.
What to do if you still get paper Social Security checks
Social Security is instructing people still receiving benefits via snail mail to switch to electronic payments as soon as possible. If you still receive your benefits via snail mail, here’s what to do now:
- Log in to your My Social Security account online. Have your bank account number and routing number on hand so you can add that information to your profile. Alternatively, ask your bank or credit union to send your direct deposit information to Social Security electronically. Your My Social Security account is also your electronic home base for exploring your benefits, getting estimates and statements, submitting required information and requesting services like ordering a replacement Social Security card. Check out all the other tasks you can perform and resources you can access on the site here.
- If you don’t have a My Social Security account, you’ll need to create one. The first step in this process is creating a Login.gov or an ID.me account. Each of these sites provides a secure “one-stop shop” where you can verify your identity to access multiple government websites with a single username and password. (If you’re unfamiliar with these platforms, Social Security has an educational video you can watch to learn more.)
- If you don’t have a bank account, you can get your Social Security benefits deposited electronically onto a prepaid debit card via the Direct Express program, which you can learn more about at GoDirect.gov.
- Limited exceptions remain for people experiencing certain hardships that make them unable to receive digital payments. The government says Social Security beneficiaries with “challenges, such as mental health concerns or… without access to financial institutions” may be able to continue receiving paper checks. In order to do so, however, they must request a waiver through the U.S. Treasury Department.
