The Treasury Department is ending paper checks for federal benefits, and people who cannot switch can ask for a waiver by phone. Social Security says federal law and Executive Order 14247 have required electronic payment since September 30, 2025, and that the agency is finishing the move for all beneficiaries during 2026. The waiver number is 1-877-874-6347, according to a June 2, 2026 Social Security blog post.
The same post says Treasury puts the average cost of a paper check at $3.07, about 20 times the cost of an automated payment, and that paper checks are far more likely to be lost, stolen, altered or returned undeliverable.
For anyone who still gets a paper check each month, the question is what happens to it and what to do now. The check is on its way out, so the choices are to move to direct deposit, to use the Direct Express prepaid debit card if there is no bank account, or to ask Treasury for a waiver. A waiver is a request, not a guarantee: Social Security’s post says exceptions are possible for beneficiaries facing challenges such as mental-health concerns or living in a remote area without access to a financial institution.
A beneficiary still on paper has a switch to make, and a switch is the moment to have a plan ready in case a deposit runs late. The Social Security Check Protection Kit includes a first-24-hours plan for a late or missing payment, so a missed deposit has a script to follow instead of a scramble.
Get the Check Protection Kit’s first-24-hours plan for a payment that does not arrive →
How to switch without a paper check
Social Security’s post lists two ways to move to direct deposit. A beneficiary can create or sign in to a personal my Social Security account and add bank account information, or ask the bank or credit union to send the direct deposit information to Social Security electronically. Either way, the money goes straight to the account instead of arriving in the mailbox.
Treasury’s Fiscal Service has the rule behind it. Its electronic funds transfer page says: “Electronic payments are required! All federal benefit payments must now be paid electronically.” It says recipients must receive direct deposit or an electronic payment to a Treasury-sponsored account, or obtain a waiver under its regulation at 31 CFR Part 208.
The waiver phone call
The route Social Security gives is a call to Treasury at 1-877-874-6347. Treasury’s Fiscal Service page lists that same number as the line for the U.S. Treasury Electronic Payment Solution Center, where people can enroll in direct deposit by phone. Neither page lists hours, so a caller should expect to try again if the line is busy.
The grounds the agency names are mental-health concerns, or living in a remote area with no access to a financial institution. Social Security’s post does not give a longer list of criteria. A person who thinks they fit one of those descriptions is the person the call is for. Having a family member or caregiver on hand during the call, with the Social Security number and current payment information ready, makes the conversation shorter.
No bank account: Direct Express
For people with no bank account, Social Security’s post points to Direct Express, a prepaid debit card that receives the benefit. Social Security’s post gives 1-800-967-6857 as the number to call to enroll.
The card program is changing hands. Direct Express says Comerica is being replaced by Fifth Third, that cardholders should keep their old card until the new one arrives, and that they will need to set a four-digit PIN on the new card.
Two routes left, and the day a payment does not come
For someone who cannot use a bank account, two routes remain: the Direct Express card, or a Treasury waiver by phone. Social Security’s blog post is the official place that lays them out. Treasury’s Fiscal Service page explains the payment rule itself.
Before any switch, write down the date the money normally arrives and the amount. After the change, compare the first deposit with that note. If the first payment under the new method is not there on the expected day, call Social Security that day instead of waiting, and keep a record of who was spoken to and when.
Anyone who is helping a parent or neighbor should watch for a caller who offers to handle the switch for a fee or asks for a bank login. The switch is made with Social Security or through the person’s own bank or credit union, and the numbers above are the ones the agency published.
A new payment route needs a late-payment plan
A beneficiary who has gotten a check by mail for years is learning a new route, and Treasury puts the average cost of each paper check at $3.07. The Social Security Check Protection Kit lays out a first-24-hours plan for a late or missing payment, for the day the new route does not deliver as expected.
Put the Check Protection Kit’s late-payment plan in place before the first deposit →
This article was produced with AI assistance and edited for accuracy against the sources linked above.
