:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/GettyImages-2211331519-3ad6daf51d0c46488192c5db5c09274c.jpg "Social Security and IRS Both Have This Payment Change Starting Next Week—Here’s What You Need to Know To Get Paid")
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Key Takeaways
- Both Social Security and IRS paper checks end Sept. 30, 2025, marking a significant shift in how the federal government distributes money to Americans.
- There are still many Americans who must transition to electronic payments.
- The changes are part of a broader push by the Trump administration to eliminate unnecessary paper-based transactions by the federal government.
Physical Social Security checks and IRS tax refund checks are being phased out starting Sept. 30, marking the end of an era for federal paper payments. The Trump administration says the changes are needed to modernize outdated government payment systems and crack down on waste, fraud, and abuse.
While fewer than 1% of the about 70 million Social Security beneficiaries still receive paper checks, they still amount to about 400,000 people as of this month. For tax refunds, the numbers are higher—7% of individual refund recipients, or about 6.5 million taxpayers, received paper checks during the 2025 filing season.
Why This Matters to You
While the change could leave you scrambling to access your benefits if you don’t act before the deadline, the switch is meant to save you both in direct costs and by helping to tamp down on fraud. Paper checks cost about 50 cents, whereas electronic transfers are 15 cents, and the feds claim that paper checks are 16 times more likely to be lost, stolen, or tampered with than electronic payments.
How to Guarantee You Get the Payments You’re Owed
If you’re among the 400,000 Social Security beneficiaries or millions of taxpayers still receiving paper checks, you need to act now.
For Social Security recipients, the agency has been sending notices to those who still receive paper checks, and recent benefit checks have included inserts detailing the steps needed to switch to electronic payments. You’ll need to provide your banking information to receive direct deposits going forward. If you have no other way of receiving payments, you will still get a physical check though. The Social Security Administration said in a Sept. 19 blog post that they will “continue to issue paper checks,” and “there are no plans to pause any payments starting October 1.”
Those looking forward to a tax refund from the IRS should make sure their payment preferences are up to date, either when filing their next return or by checking the IRS’s “Where’s My Refund?” tool to manage payment methods. If you don’t have a bank account, both agencies say they’re working to provide alternatives, including prepaid debit cards.
Need an Exemption? Here’s What to Know and How to Qualify
Many Americans are unbanked and may not be able to receive payments electronically. While the federal government has outlined who might qualify for exceptions to the electronic payment requirement—conditions include having a mental impairment or living in a remote area—neither the IRS nor the Social Security Administration has released clear guidance as of Sept. 26 on how to apply for these exemptions as the deadline draws near.
The IRS states it “will publish detailed guidance for 2025 tax returns before the 2026 filing season begins,” while the Social Security Administration is referring people to the U.S. Department of the Treasury (phone number: 1-855-290-1545). There is also this application form that you can fill out and mail to the U.S. Treasury Electronic Payment Solution Center, U.S. Department of the Treasury at P.O. Box 650527 Dallas, TX 75265-0527.
The Bottom Line
Sept. 30 marks the end of an era for federal payments, with the Social Security Administration and the IRS among the federal agencies phasing out paper checks on the same day. If you or someone you know still receives government payments by mail, now is the time to act.
