Americans who receive Social Security benefits but don’t use electronic banking received some good news this week. On Wednesday, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) announced that the Social Security Administration won’t enforce an executive order that would have put an end to paper checks being issued for benefit payments.
On July 14, the SSA issued a press release reminding beneficiaries that the order signed by President Trump calls for the federal government to stop issuing paper checks for payments made by the government. That includes Social Security benefit payments.
However, following a meeting between Warren and SSA Commissioner Frank Bisignano, the senator said that plan will no longer impact those who receive Social Security benefits.
“In the meeting with Senator Warren, Commissioner Bisignano backtracked, confirming that paper checks will remain an option for beneficiaries who need them,” reads a portion of a blog post on Warren’s website.
The SSA says less than 1% of all beneficiaries currently receive paper checks.
When Trump signed the executive order in May, he cited the tremendous expense associated with issuing paper checks. Trump claimed the cost of maintaining the physical infrastructure and technology for digitizing paper records was over $657 million in fiscal year 2024.
The SSA cited U.S. Treasury data that says issuing a paper check costs around 50 cents, while issuing an Electronic Funds Transfers (EFTs) typically costs less than 15 cents.
Trump’s order does allow for the Secretary of the Treasury to review and revise procedures including exceptions for:
- Those who do not have access to banking services or electronic payment systems.
- Certain emergency payments where electronic disbursement would cause undue hardship.
- National security- or law enforcement-related activities where non-EFT transactions are necessary or desirable.
- Other circumstances as determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, as reflected in regulations or other guidance.
The order will take effect starting on Sept. 30, 2025.
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.