Social Security says “as of September 30, 2025, federal law and Executive Order 14247 require federal benefits to be paid electronically.” People who still get a paper check can switch to direct deposit through a my Social Security account, and people without a bank account can enroll in Direct Express, a prepaid debit card. The agency says it plans to finish moving every beneficiary this year.
That puts the question on anyone who still opens a paper check each month: what to set up, and by when. Social Security’s posts give no date on which checks stop. People who cannot move to an account can ask for a waiver, which Social Security says goes through the U.S. Treasury at 1-877-874-6347.
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What does the law and the order actually say?
Two rules sit behind the agency’s message. The statute is 31 U.S.C. 3332, which, as Cornell Law School’s posting of the U.S. Code shows, directs that federal wage, salary and retirement payments be made by electronic funds transfer, and lets the Treasury secretary waive the requirement for individuals or groups facing a hardship.
The order is the newer piece. President Donald Trump signed Executive Order 14247, “Modernizing Payments To and From America’s Bank Account,” on March 25, 2025. Its text says that “effective September 30, 2025, and to the extent permitted by law,” the government moves off paper checks. It also tells the Treasury secretary to keep limited exceptions where electronic payment is not feasible, including for individuals without access to banking services or electronic payment systems, and says those people “shall be provided alternative payment options.”
The Treasury’s Bureau of the Fiscal Service says the same thing in plainer terms on its page for people who still get checks, published Sept. 30, 2025, and updated March 3, 2026. It says most federal payments made by paper check, including Social Security and Veterans benefits, must now be made electronically.
Bank account or prepaid card?
The choice depends on whether the person has an account. In its June 2 blog post, Social Security says people with a bank account can create or sign in to a my Social Security account and add their bank information to receive payments by direct deposit. Another route is to ask the bank to send the direct deposit information to Social Security electronically.
Direct Express is for people without a bank account. The agency says they can receive electronic payments on a prepaid debit card by enrolling at GoDirect.gov or by calling 1-800-967-6857. A person with a bank account does not need the card, and the direct deposit route keeps the money in the account they already use.
The my Social Security page lists changing a direct deposit among the tasks that can be done online, and says new users verify their identity through a partner sign-in. Treasury’s fiscal page adds that people already getting payments by direct deposit or a prepaid card need take no action.
Social Security’s blog gives three reasons for the change. Electronic transfers are processed faster. The Treasury reports the average cost to print a check is $3.07, about 20 times the cost of an automated payment. And paper checks are 16 times more likely to be lost, stolen, altered or returned undeliverable.
Is a waiver still available?
Yes, according to both agencies. Social Security’s blog says people who face challenges, such as mental health concerns or living in a remote area without access to financial institutions, can request a waiver through the Treasury at 1-877-874-6347.
Treasury’s page says existing waiver procedures “remain in effect until further notice.” It adds that the Fiscal Service is reviewing its waiver guidance and will coordinate with the paying agencies before any new procedures take effect.
The order frames exceptions as limited, for cases where electronic payment is “not feasible.” Neither agency’s page lists a general right to keep paper checks.
What could change the waivers?
Treasury has a separate rulemaking under way. A proposed rule published in the Federal Register in April would revise 31 CFR Part 208, the regulation on federal disbursements. Under it, individuals would ask the paying agency for a hardship waiver, rather than Treasury, for a mental impairment or for living in an area without electronic payment infrastructure.
The proposal would also end the waiver for people born before May 1, 1921, and the waiver tied to a suspended Direct Express account. It is only a proposal. The notice sets no effective date, and Treasury’s page says the current procedures stay in place for now.
The fiscal page points people to MyMoney.gov/FederalPayments for enrollment resources. It also warns about government impersonation scams and says to verify any request by reaching the agency through a website or phone number already known to be real. A caller offering to “switch” a Social Security payment is a request to verify the same way.
Still waiting on a paper Social Security check?
A switch to direct deposit or Direct Express changes how the money arrives, and a first payment that lands late or in the wrong place is when a month of rent or medication money is at risk. Social Security has not published the date paper checks stop.
The Social Security Check Protection Kit includes a first-24-hours plan for a late or missing payment, so the steps are on paper before a deposit is needed. It is a 75-page guide, and its Part 4, Late, Short or Wrong Payments, covers what to do when an amount does not arrive as expected.
This article was produced with AI assistance and edited for accuracy against the sources linked above.
David M. Keller is a finance writer based in Columbus, Ohio, covering personal finance and consumer-focused economic topics. He earned his degree in journalism from Ohio University and began his career reporting on local business and economic trends for a regional media outlet. Since then, he has contributed to a variety of online publications, focusing on clear, practical coverage of topics such as cost of living, debt, and everyday financial decision-making.
