SSA Paper Checks: The Social Security Administration (SSA) has changed its decision and now says it will not stop sending paper checks to people who still depend on them. This big U-turn happened after lots of pressure from lawmakers and advocacy groups who felt the earlier plan would hurt older people and those without bank accounts.
SSA said it wanted to stop paper checks by September 30 and move everyone to electronic payments. But many people raised concerns that this would create major problems for those who can’t use technology or don’t have access to regular banks.
Senator Elizabeth Warren shared that SSA Commissioner Frank Bisignano made it clear in a recent meeting that people who need paper checks will still receive them. She told reporters, “Bisignano made a commitment that no one will be left behind. And that people who have access to paper checks will get access to paper checks.” That means paper checks are here to stay for now, especially for those who truly rely on them.
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Why the Paper Check Decision is Important?
The SSA had earlier explained that electronic payments are safer, quicker, and cheaper costing only 15 cents compared to 50 cents for each paper check. But for many people who still depend on paper checks about 520,000 beneficiaries those savings don’t mean much if it means losing access to money. Many of them are elderly or don’t have a bank account at all. Some also don’t know how to use online banking or don’t have a smartphone. Without paper checks, these people could have faced real trouble just getting their money.
Data shows that about 20% of households led by someone over age 65 don’t use regular banks. They often depend on check-cashing services or apps like Venmo or PayPal. For these people, switching to digital payments is not easy. Advocates say cutting off paper checks would have been harmful and might have left people stuck with no way to pay bills or buy basic needs.
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During the meeting, Senator Warren also brought up other worries, including that SSA has been cutting staff and hiding important info from the public. She said the SSA took down key service details like how long people wait on the phone from its website. She also said her office found that the data that was still online was wrong and not helpful.
“Recent reporting highlighted that under Bisignano’s watch, SSA has removed key service metrics, such as call wait times, from its website,” Warren said, adding that her office’s own investigation found the remaining data to be “inaccurate and misleading.”
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In response to concerns about fewer workers affecting customer help, Bisignano pointed out some recent improvements. He said the average wait time on phone calls went down from 30 minutes in 2024 to 18 minutes in 2025. He also said that the number of disability cases waiting to be reviewed dropped by 25%. While that shows progress, people are still watching closely to make sure services stay fair and open.
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