The Social Security Administration (SSA) was expected to phase out the use of Treasury checks to pay benefits by September 30, 2025, and has now reversed course. The move to end the use of paper checks was a result of an executive order signed by President Trump back in March.
While the SSA has decided to continue to issue payment by paper checks in limited circumstances, “[w]e will continue to drive down paper check volume, which is less than 1% of total, by proactively communicating with beneficiaries about the advantages of enrolling in e-payments and the process for doing so” the SSA told Kiplinger in an email.
The SSA has been actively encouraging electronic payments in the form of direct deposit for many years due to efficiency and greater security. However, they haven’t eliminated paper checks because some beneficiaries still rely on them, as they don’t have a bank account or have difficulty with electronic methods.
