The government will soon switch to electronic payments for Social Security checks and tax refunds.
Tax season ended over a month ago, but some of us might still be waiting for our tax refund checks to arrive. By the end of September, the federal government plans to eliminate paper checks and switch to electronic payments, according to the Commercial Appeal, part of the USA TODAY Network.
How will Ohio be affected by this change? Here’s what to know.
Social Security check dates in May, rest of 2025
When will the federal government stop paper checks?
According to the Commercial Appeal, the government will stop sending paper checks by Sept. 30, except in limited cases.
How many people in Ohio will be affected?
Of the more than 67.2 million people who collect Social Security benefits, 448,912 use paper check deposits over direct deposits. That accounts for approximately 0.7% of recipients in the country, according to the Commercial Appeal.
A little over 19,000 Ohioans receive their SSA payments by mail, while over 2.5 million Ohioans receive electronic payments, according to the Social Security Administration.
In all, 99.2% of Ohioans receive their payments electronically, leaving the 0.8% who will receive their checks by mail until they need to switch by the end of September.
How do I move my SSA payments to electronic?
If you’re one of the few people who receive their SSA benefits by mail and want to make the switch to electronic payments, it’s pretty simple to do so.
On the Social Security Administration website, you can switch to electronic payments using your existing bank account, or with a Direct Express or Debit Mastercard.
The SSA asks benefit recipients to update their accounts with direct deposit information. This can be done by:
If you do not have a bank account into which the SSA can directly deposit money, the agency asks you to open one to receive benefits. It will not make paper checks out to those without bank accounts.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Social Security to eliminate paper checks. How will Ohio be affected? What to know
Reporting by Mariyam Muhammad and Jordan Green, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
