The Trump administration will soon stop sending paper checks to the beneficiaries of social security, as part of an attempt to fully update federal payments. This means that a little more than half a million recipients – or 0.8 % of all the beneficiaries of the program – must now choose another way to receive their advantages.
However, there will be some exceptions. More about it in a minute.
In mid -July, the Social Security Administration announced that starting September 30, no longer release paper tests. In the blog publication, the beneficiaries who received paper checks should choose one of the two alternatives: Are their interest payments hand over electronically by direct deposit; Or, if they do not have a bank account, get the payments payments on the prepaid debit card known as Direct Express.
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Why the key? “It is part of a wider government level to update payment systems and enhance service provision,” said the SSA blog.
In fact, at the end of May, the US Treasury said that all federal payments – including the advantages of social security, tax recovery and sellers’ payments – will start electronically on September 30 in line with President Donald Trump’s executive order to move to all electronic payments by that date.
“The paper checks are increasingly the front door for fraud. The treasury is committed to increasing awareness of the increasing risk of fraud associated with paper checks and providing Americans with knowledge and tools to combat financial fraud and take informed financial decisions,” the Treasury said in a statement.
Electronic Going will also save money. The Social Security Administration said that the issuance of paper checks costs about 50 cents each, while sending money electronically to less than 15 cents.
But it will be excluded.
On July 23, Senator Elizabeth Warren – who sits in the Special Committee of the Aging Council of Archemy, as well as the Senate Finance Committee on Social Security, pensions and family policy – said in an invitation with the correspondents that she met with the Social Security Commissioner Frank Besiniano and confirmed that he is committed to some exceptions to be for the new policy.
“Their plan is to start with people who have an account examination, but his commitment will not be left behind, and people who still need to reach paper checks will get this access to paper checks,” Warren told reporters.
The Social Security Administration has not established a public statement confirming this. But in an email message in response to CNN inquiries, a social security spokesman said: “SSA is calling proactively these beneficiaries to alert them about the change and the process to register a direct deposit or receive Express directly. The beneficiary has no other way to receive payment, we will continue to issue paper checks.”
The federal payment to be paid electronically did not start with the Trump administration. It was a legal issue for years for most payments, although the law allowed agencies to make exceptions.
On Godirect, there is a section on how the recipients who still need to obtain a paper examination can request a concession.
But he notes that the exceptions are granted “only in rare circumstances.” Only three conditions are included: 1) If “electronic payments will impose hardship due to mental weakness”; 2) If the beneficiary “lives in a geographical location remotely lacks the infrastructure to support electronic financial transactions”; And 3) If the recipient is 90 years old or older.
The page guides the people who want to waive the waiver to solve the electronic payment of the US Treasury to request a request to give up on the number 1-855-290-1545. Or the recipient may print this form and send it by mail to the address listed below.
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