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U.S. Ends Most Federal Paper Checks as Social Security Goes Electronic, IRS Starts Refund Phaseout

The policy targets fraud, costs, delays through digital delivery of federal benefits plus tax refunds.

U.S. Social Security card designs over the past several decades are shown in this photo illustration taken in Toronto on Jan. 7, 2017.
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A COVID-19 stimulus check from the U.S. Treasury arrived in the mail for a family based in Milton, Massachusetts on March 25, 2021.
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Overview

  • Starting Sept. 30, the Social Security Administration stopped routine paper checks for Social Security and SSI, directing remaining recipients to direct deposit or the Treasury-backed Direct Express card.
  • The IRS began phasing out paper tax refund checks today, with refunds moving to electronic delivery while filing procedures remain unchanged until new guidance arrives before the 2026 filing season.
  • Fewer than 1% of Social Security beneficiaries still received paper checks—about 400,000 people—an often vulnerable group that advocates warn could face access challenges.
  • Treasury cites security and savings, noting paper checks are about 16 times likelier to be lost or stolen and cost roughly $0.50 each versus under $0.15 for electronic transfers.
  • Limited waivers apply for specific hardships such as age 90 or older, certain mental impairments, or remote locations, and agencies advise caution about scam attempts targeting new electronic users.