Social Security Beneficiaries Will Soon Have 1 Fewer Payment Option to Choose From

The Social Security Administration will fully transition to electronic-only payments this year.

This will affect the 283,000 Americans still receiving paper checks.

The U.S. Treasury may grant waivers to those unable to accept electronic payments.

So far, 2026 hasn't seen as many Social Security shake-ups as 2025, but changes are still happening, mostly behind the scenes. For example, the Social Security Administration switched to a nationalized response model, which has reduced call wait times.

The Social Security Administration is also quietly removing one of its payment options in response to an executive order passed last fall. Most people won't notice a change, but for more than 283,000 Americans, failure to act now could disrupt their benefits in the coming months.

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President Donald Trump signed an executive order in September 2025 that requires all federal benefits, including Social Security , to be paid electronically going forward. As of June 2026, 99.6% of all claimants receive their checks this way, but more than 283,000 still receive physical checks by mail.

This will soon come to an end, as the Social Security Administration intends to complete its transition to electronic payments later this year. This is supposed to save money, improve efficiency, and reduce the risk of stolen benefits.