The Social Security Administration is going through a lot of changes. They just made a decision that ends an era: they will no longer mail out checks. 450,000 people who still get paper checks will be affected by this measure.
We should remember that most of the people who get this payment are older adults who get a pension. And we all know what happens when technology changes: our elders do not do well with new technologies (the generational gap and all that).
This change aims to make a big switch to digital methods and bring the system up to date. But, of course, it has made a lot of older people doubtful.
Why won’t there be physical checks anymore?
The main reasons for this are that the government needs to update its systems and also that paper checks are easier to fake, steal, or even lose. Let us say that the main reason the SSA needs to get rid of physical checks is to make the system safer.
The Administration says that this change will not have a negative impact on older people. Instead, it will lower the risk of fraud that directly affects them and other people in dangerous situations.
Isn’t this a DOGE measure?
It is possible, since sending physical checks has been seen as a waste of money for the system. The government hopes to save millions of dollars with this plan, even if Musk and his Department do not support it (since digital payments are free).
The saved money could be used to make the Social Security Administration better. As we all know, the SSA has a big problem: more and more people are retiring, and prices are going up. That is a big problem, yes.
Will this affect many people?
It is thought that only 0.7% of the 68.2 million people who get Social Security payments do so through physical checks. However, do not be fooled by that number; there are still 456,000 people who get their payments by check, and they are usually older people or people who are more likely to be in need.
Older people and people who have trouble using technology will probably be the ones most affected by this. But hopefully, they will be able to get used to this new way of getting paid quickly, especially since the SSA is also cutting back on ways to communicate. People who are already weak will be at double the risk.
Adapt or die: a threat
Even though the SSA got rid of some ways to communicate, they set up online tools and phone help lines for people who are having trouble understanding the changes. The people who get the money will also be able to pick whether to get it in their bank accounts or on debit cards.
Other changes in terms of technology
DOGE is causing SSA offices to have fewer and fewer people working there. Former commissioner Martin O’Malley and other workers have warned that this loss of staff could bring down the SSA in 30 days, so we are running out of time.
The future is digital
Giving up physical checks is seen as a sign of progress by some, but others agree that it is a new problem. We can not forget that there are still people who can not connect to the internet, even if some people do not like technology. The future will be digital, but there are still a lot of things that need to be worked out.