You can change the direct deposit on your Social Security benefits four ways: online through your my Social Security account, by phone at 1-800-772-1213, in person at a local field office, or by asking your new bank to submit the change for you. Online updates are the fastest and now process within one business day after the SSA strengthened its identity verification in 2025.1Social Security Administration. Social Security Strengthens Identity Proofing Requirements Whichever route you take, have your new bank’s nine-digit routing number and your account number in front of you before you start.
What to Have Ready
Every method asks for the same information: your Social Security number, the type of benefit you receive (retirement, disability, or SSI), and the banking details for the new account. The routing number sits on the left at the bottom of a personal check; the account number is printed to its right. Both numbers also appear in the account details section of your bank’s app or website.
Enter the digits exactly as they appear. One wrong digit can reject the change or send your payment to the wrong account. If you’re not sure which numbers to use for an electronic deposit, call your bank and ask.
Changing Direct Deposit Online
The fastest route is your personal my Social Security account at ssa.gov. Signing in requires either a Login.gov or ID.me credential; as of June 2025 those are the only two sign-in options for SSA online services.2Social Security Administration. Learn About Changes We Are Making to Your Personal My Social Security Account You only need one of the two, and you can create it during sign-in if you don’t already have one.3Social Security Administration. My Social Security
Once signed in, go to the benefits and payment section of your dashboard, open the direct deposit option, enter the new routing and account numbers, and save. Review the confirmation screen before you submit, and hold onto the confirmation number the system generates. Online changes now process within one business day, replacing the previous 30-day hold.1Social Security Administration. Social Security Strengthens Identity Proofing Requirements
Changing Direct Deposit by Phone
Call the SSA at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778), 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. local time, Monday through Friday.4Social Security Administration. Contact Social Security by Phone Wait times are generally shorter in the morning, later in the week, and later in the month.
Before you dial, generate a one-time verification code at ssa.gov/PIN. This step was added in April 2025 as part of the stronger identity checks on direct deposit changes. Generating the code requires signing in to (or creating) a my Social Security account through Login.gov or ID.me. Read the code to the representative when you call, and they’ll process the change.5Social Security Administration. What to Know About Proving Your Identity
If you can’t create a my Social Security account and therefore can’t generate the code, the phone route isn’t available to you. You’ll need to visit a field office in person or arrange the change through your bank.5Social Security Administration. What to Know About Proving Your Identity
Changing Direct Deposit at a Local Office
An in-person visit is the fallback when the online portal and the phone code aren’t options. Since January 2025, the SSA has required an appointment before you visit a field office.6Social Security Administration. Changes to Accessing Our In-Person Services Book one by calling 1-800-772-1213.
The SSA has said it will not turn away people who cannot make an appointment, particularly vulnerable populations, military personnel, people with terminal illnesses, and others needing immediate attention. Some offices with short waits will still take walk-ins.6Social Security Administration. Changes to Accessing Our In-Person Services Bring a government-issued photo ID and your new bank account information. A representative will verify your identity in person and update the record.
Changing Direct Deposit Through Your Bank
Your bank or credit union may be able to submit the change for you through a service called Automated Enrollment. The bank sends your routing and account numbers to the SSA electronically, so you don’t need to call or visit an office yourself.7Social Security Administration. Update Direct Deposit Not every institution offers it. Contact yours to find out.
How Long the Change Takes
The 30-day hold on online direct deposit changes was eliminated in 2025, and updates through my Social Security now process within one business day.1Social Security Administration. Social Security Strengthens Identity Proofing Requirements Even so, your next payment may still hit the old account depending on where you are in the monthly cycle. Payment dates are fixed by birth date: the second Wednesday for the 1st through the 10th, the third Wednesday for the 11th through the 20th, and the fourth Wednesday for the 21st through the 31st. SSI generally arrives on the first of the month.8Social Security Administration. Schedule of Social Security Benefit Payments 2026-2027
Keep your old bank account open until you’ve confirmed at least one payment has landed in the new one.9Social Security Administration. What You Need to Know When You Get Retirement or Survivors Benefits If a payment is sent to a closed account, the bank returns it to the Treasury, and reissuing it can add weeks.
If You Don’t Have a Bank Account
Federal law requires benefit payments to be made electronically, but you don’t need a traditional bank account to comply. The Direct Express Debit Mastercard receives your payments directly and satisfies the requirement.10Social Security Administration. Direct Deposit There’s no monthly fee, no minimum balance, and no credit check. You can use the card anywhere Mastercard is accepted at no charge, and each month you get one free ATM cash withdrawal for every deposit posted to your account.11Bureau of the Fiscal Service. Direct Express To enroll, call the Direct Express Enrollment Center at 1-800-333-1795, Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Eastern. ATMs outside the Direct Express network may charge their own fee.
Special Situations
Representative Payees
If you manage benefits for someone else as a representative payee, the receiving account must be titled to show your fiduciary interest rather than a personal one. Acceptable formats include “Mary Smith for Jane Jones” or “Jane Jones by Mary Smith,” and the beneficiary’s name must appear in the account title, a sub-account, or a linked account.12Social Security Administration. Direct Deposit for Representative Payee Cases If you can’t use the online portal, visit a local office with identification for both you and the beneficiary.
Beneficiaries Living Abroad
If you live outside the United States and receive retirement or disability benefits (Title II), you can enroll in International Direct Deposit to a foreign bank account. The SSA supports direct deposit in more than 150 countries and territories.13Social Security Administration. International Direct Deposit List Enrollment uses a country-specific SSA-1199 form; you fill in your details, your foreign bank completes its section, and the form goes to the Federal Benefits Unit listed on it.14Social Security Administration. SSA-1199 Forms SSI payments cannot be sent to foreign accounts, and enrollment ends when you return to live in the United States.
If a Payment Doesn’t Arrive
Start with the new bank. Deposits can post later than expected on the bank’s side. If the bank confirms nothing was received, call the SSA at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) to report a missing payment. The SSA will review the case and arrange a replacement if the payment is due.15Social Security Administration. How Do I Report a Missing Payment
If the deposit went to your old account and that account is still open, contact the old bank to transfer or withdraw the funds. If the old account has already been closed, the bank will reject the deposit and return it to the Treasury, which then issues a paper check to the address on file. That process can add a couple of weeks. Leaving the old account open until the switch is confirmed avoids the delay entirely.9Social Security Administration. What You Need to Know When You Get Retirement or Survivors Benefits