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Social Security News
California Fires Delay Thousands of Social Security
Checks to Senior Citizens
Treasurys Go Direct campaign says all should
switch to direct deposit
 Oct. 25, 2007 The California fires have already
disrupted delivery of some 8,700 Social Security checks to Southern
California residents and the Department of the Treasury is using this
calamity to urge senior citizens drawing Social Security to switch to
direct deposit.
Treasury's 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 following a natural disaster.
Up to 129,000 additional Social Security and other
federal benefit checks are scheduled for release to the fire-affected
areas in the next eight days, according to Treasury.
Each month, Treasury issues more than 10 million
paper benefit checks to Americans nationwide, including 880,000 to
California residents.
"During this difficult time, as Southern
Californians work to get their lives back in order, one simple step
seniors and other federal beneficiaries can take is to sign up for
direct deposit -- the safest and most reliable payment option," said
Alvina McHale, Go Direct project director for the U.S. Department of the
Treasury's Financial Management Service.
Direct deposit involves the Treasury wiring the
funds directly to the recipient's bank account.
After such natural disasters as Hurricanes Katrina
and Rita, thousands of people were forced to evacuate their homes and
nearly 85,000 emergency payments had to be issued to displaced
residents.
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.
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.
Evacuees seeking information about their next
Social Security payment should contact their local Social Security
Administration office.
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