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Social Security News
Keep Social Security Checks Coming During Hurricanes
with Direct Deposit
Switch to direct deposit may eliminate a stolen check, assure safety of personal information
 May 14, 2007 Keep your Social Security checks
coming by having the government deposit them directly into your bank
account. The Department of the Treasury says this may be especially
helpful for those living along the Gulf Coast and Eastern seaboard as
hurricane season approaches.
The Treasurys Go Direct campaign says the
recommendation is aimed at safeguarding senior citizens and people with
disabilities by ensuring seamless delivery of their federal benefit
payments in the days following a hurricane or severe weather event.
In the days and weeks following Hurricanes Katrina
and Rita, almost 85,000 emergency payments had to be issued. By
contrast, Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
recipients already using direct deposit were able to access their funds
immediately through automated teller machines, debit cards and financial
institution networks around the country.
Currently, more than 3 million Americans living in
hurricane-prone states still receive their federal benefit payments by
paper check instead of direct deposit. By switching to direct deposit,
people can protect themselves against disruptions in mail service and
other factors that could delay the delivery of a paper check payment.
People who receive federal benefits by check can
switch to direct deposit by calling the Go Direct helpline at (800)
333-1795 (English and Spanish), signing up online at
http://www.godirect.org/ (English) and
http://www.directoasucuenta.org/ (Spanish), or visiting their local
bank or credit union.
In addition to safeguarding Americans from delays
or disruptions, direct deposit protects federal benefit recipients from
the devastating effects of financial fraud and identity theft. A recent
nationwide Treasury-sponsored survey revealed that four in 10
respondents say they have been victims of identity theft or know someone
who has.
The survey also showed that nearly one in three
respondents (31 percent) said they had had a check, important document
or large sum of cash lost or stolen.
By switching to direct deposit, Social Security and
SSI recipients can eliminate the likelihood of a stolen check and help
ensure the safety of their personal and financial information.
Source: U.S. Treasury's Go Direct Campaign
Web site:
http://www.godirect.org/
http://www.directoasucuenta.org/
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