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Social Security checks have been arriving in Maine mailboxes for nearly 90 years, but that’s on track to change next week — in theory, if not in practice.

A March executive order signed by President Donald Trump set Sept. 30 as the official deadline for the U.S. Treasury Department to stop making payments, including retirement benefits and income tax refunds, via physical checks in most circumstances.

The vast majority of Mainers on Social Security already receive their monthly benefit electronically. Those who haven’t yet made the switch can likely still expect a check to arrive in October as the government gives time for stragglers to get on board. But experts say that shouldn’t give recipients a false sense of security.

“Do not wait until the last minute,” said Noël Bonam, AARP Maine’s state director. “Don’t fight it.”

Here’s what Mainers need to know.

WHY THE CHANGE?

Trump’s executive order listed several reasons the Treasury is switching to exclusively online payments, including preventing fraud, speeding up payments and cutting unnecessary costs.

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Each Social Security check costs the government 50 cents to print and mail, according to the Treasury Department. With roughly 400,000 Americans still receiving paper checks as of September, that amounts to a couple million dollars per year. According to Trump’s order, the related cost of digitizing paper records of Treasury payments is much higher: $657 million in the last fiscal year.

The push isn’t new. Bonam said the government’s steady transition to digital payments began during the Clinton administration and was a priority of Barack Obama’s before Trump took office.

HOW WILL THIS AFFECT MAINERS?

Only about 4,200 out of 420,000 Social Security retirement and disability payments Mainers received this month — about 1% — came in the form of a physical check, according to government data. Those checks were accompanied by letters reminding recipients that they must sign up for direct deposit into a bank account or a government-issued debit card by Sept. 30.

The process is simple for anyone used to using a computer or banking online. But it could be tough for some tech-averse seniors who might need to lean on family members or resources like Maine’s Area Agencies on Aging, Bonam said.

People who miss the deadline will likely still get their payments next month. A Social Security spokesperson told the Press Herald that they would continue issuing paper checks in cases “where a beneficiary has no other means to receive payment.”

It’s unclear how long that policy will remain in place.

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WILL THERE BE ANY EXCEPTIONS?

The current rule allows people to apply for a waiver to continue receiving paper checks if they meet one of several criteria:

  • They are age 90 or older.
  • They live in a remote geographic location.
  • Electronic payments would “impose a hardship” on them due to mental impairment.

Those who believe they are eligible and want to continue receiving checks should call the Treasury at 1-877-874-6347.

HOW CAN MAINERS MAKE THE SWITCH?

Beneficiaries can sign up for electronic payments at godirect.gov/gpw/ or by calling the Treasury at the number above.

To complete the process, recipients will need their Social Security number and information from their most recent benefit check, including the check number and the payment amount.

Those who want to set up direct deposit into a bank account will need their bank’s routing and account numbers.

Those who don’t have a bank account can instead sign up to have payments loaded onto a debit card by calling 1-800-333-1795, or visiting www.usdirectexpress.com.

IS ANYONE PUSHING BACK?

All four members of Maine’s congressional delegation signed a letter penned by Sen. Angus King last week requesting the administration extend the deadline to stop producing checks. Addressed to the heads of the Treasury and the Office of Management and Budget, the message cited concerns about how the switch could affect older Americans, those who live in rural areas, and the country’s domestic paper and pulp industry.

A spokesman for King said he has not yet received responses to the 13 questions the senator included in his letter, several of which were about the waiver process. But he said the senator was pleased with recent clarifications saying the IRS and Social Security Administration would not immediately stop sending checks.

As a member of METLN's quick strike investigations team, John writes about everything from gun legislation to housing. He previously spent a year on a deep-dive investigation of the Lewiston mass shooting...

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