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Cautionary Remarks on the Elimination of Paper Checks
With the planned cessation of paper checks for an estimated 390,000 Social Security recipients on September 30, some sources are sounding the alarm. For example, Social Security Works president Nancy Altman yesterday published a statement describing the move as having the potential to “be devastating for around 400,000 of the most disadvantaged Americans who receive Social Security and SSI.” In her statement, she outlines concerns related to technical and procedural difficulties that disadvantaged beneficiaries could face. Read the full statement here.
For background on the September 30 paper check elimination, the Presidential Executive Order published March 25, 2025 called for changing the process for delivering benefits payments. The Order, titled “Modernizing Payments To and From America’s Bank Account,” directed the replacement of paper checks with either electronic transactions or the use of a prepaid debit card that can accept deposits from the federal government (“Direct Express”). The Order provided details on the cost advantages of the change, as well as improvements in security and fraud prevention.
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