{"id":8950,"date":"2011-04-11T18:40:47","date_gmt":"2011-04-11T18:40:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/utu.org\/?p=8950"},"modified":"2011-04-11T18:40:47","modified_gmt":"2011-04-11T18:40:47","slug":"rail-retirement-social-security-benefits-go-electronic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.smart-union.org\/rail-retirement-social-security-benefits-go-electronic\/","title":{"rendered":"Rail Retirement, Social Security benefits go electronic","gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"text"}]},"content":{"rendered":"
Effective May 1, Social Security and Railroad Retirement checks for new recipients no longer will be mailed.<\/p>\n
Instead, all benefits payments — retirement, survivor and disability — will go electronically to the recipients’ bank accounts via electronic direct deposit.<\/p>\n
Those already receiving Social Security and Railroad Retirement benefits via check through the postal service will have until March 1, 2013, to establish direct deposit at a financial institution, or arrange for the benefits to be credited to a debit card.<\/p>\n
An advance notice of this change was posted on the UTU website in December. This is a reminder.<\/p>\n
An exception will be made for those at least 90 years old and those living in remote areas. Those recipients may continue receiving benefits checks via the postal service indefinitely.<\/p>\n
Already, eight of 10 benefits recipients receive benefits electronically through direct deposit.<\/p>\n
Electronic payment eliminates the problem of lost or stolen checks, and makes it easier and more prompt for those away from home to ensure payments are available for use.<\/p>\n
Beneficiaries who do not have bank or credit union accounts may obtain a Direct Express debit MasterCard by clicking on the following website:<\/p>\n