The check is no longer in the mail. On Tuesday, the Social Security Administration announced that it has completed eliminating the paperwork.
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 through direct deposit, debit or credit card payments, digital wallets or real-time transfers. It has set a target date of September 30, 2025, for the paper review to be largely completed.
In August, a Social Security spokesperson told Money that more than 99% of beneficiaries were receiving their payments electronically. In the following months, the agency worked to convert the less than 1% of beneficiaries who still receive paper checks to electronic payments.
“Social Security plans to complete a full transition to electronic payments for all beneficiaries this year,” the agency said in an announcement this week, posted on its Social Security Matters blog.
It is more efficient to process digital payments than to send checks through the US Postal Service. It costs more than $3 to print and mail each check; Also, paper tests are 16 times more likely to be lost, stolen or delayed, according to government data.
What to do if you are still receiving Social Security checks
Social Security is urging people who still receive benefits via snail mail to switch to electronic payments as soon as possible. If you’re still receiving your benefits via snail mail, here’s what you need to do now:
- Sign in to your My Social Security account online. Have your bank account number and routing number handy so you can add that information to your profile. Or, 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 checking your benefits, getting estimates and statements, submitting necessary information and requesting services such as ordering a Social Security replacement card. Check out all the other activities you can do and the 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 to create a Login.gov or 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 not familiar with these fields, Social Security has an instructional video you can watch to learn more.)
- If you don’t have a bank account, you can get your Social Security benefits electronically deposited onto a prepaid debit card through the Direct Express program, which you can learn more about at GoDirect.gov.
- There remains a limited exception for people facing certain difficulties that prevent them from receiving digital payments. The government says Social Security beneficiaries who have “challenges, such as mental health concerns or… without access to financial institutions” can continue to receive paper checks. In order to do so, however, they must request a waiver through the US Treasury Department.
