The US government is set to completely stop sending paper checks for Social Security benefits by the end of 2026, as part of a plan to move all benefit payments to electronic methods.
The move comes after an executive order signed by the US President in March 2025, which required federal benefit payments to be made electronically.
As of June 2026, fewer than 1% of Social Security beneficiaries were still receiving paper checks, and the agency is encouraging the remaining beneficiaries to switch to electronic payments as soon as possible.
Electronic payments help people receive their money faster and more securely every month, and are 16 times less likely to be lost, stolen, altered, or returned as undeliverable compared to paper checks.
The government expects to save millions of dollars each year after paper checks are eliminated, and beneficiaries can switch to electronic payments through their personal my Social Security account or by contacting their bank or financial institution.
