Are you a Social Security beneficiary? What you need to do before September 30 to continue receiving payments

More than 74 million people receive a monthly payment from the Social Security Administration (SSA). Most beneficiaries are retired workers or people enrolled in Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). While most receive their payment by direct deposit, some still get a paper check. That latter method is about to change.

Starting Tuesday, September 30, the Social Security Administration will stop issuing payments by paper check. This follows an executive order signed earlier this year by Donald Trump to end paper checks for government payments. Electronic funds transfer will be used instead.

According to the administration at the time, the shift is intended to address the fraud, theft and inefficiencies that plague payments sent through the mail. Today, more than 68 million beneficiaries get their money via bank deposit, but what about everyone else? Here’s what they need to do before the deadline.

What Social Security beneficiaries must do before September 30

Beneficiaries have until September 30 to link a bank account to their Social Security profile. If they don’t, they may not receive their money. To change the payment method, recipients should log into their my Social Security account. Once in, they must update their direct deposit information and enter the new banking details. The changes will take effect within one business day.

If you don’t have a bank account to link your payment, you can request a waiver of the electronic payment requirement from the US Department of the Treasury. Call 1-877-874-6347 to begin the process. Be sure to complete the necessary steps before September 30 – or before your scheduled payment date. You can consult the October payment calendar here.

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