To change your Social Security direct deposit, sign in to your my Social Security account at ssa.gov, call the SSA at 1-800-772-1213, visit a local Social Security office, or ask your new bank to send the update to Social Security through its Automated Enrollment service. Before you start, have your Social Security number, your new bank’s nine-digit routing number, your account number, and whether the account is checking or savings.1Social Security Administration. Social Security Direct Deposit
What to Have Ready
Pull these details from your new bank before you begin:
- The nine-digit routing number, found at the bottom left of a personal check or on the bank’s website and mobile app.
- Your account number, which appears just to the right of the routing number on a check.
- Whether the account is checking or savings.
- Your Social Security number, used to verify your identity.
If you don’t have a check, a recent statement or the bank’s online portal will show both numbers. Check every digit twice. A single wrong number can send your payment to the wrong account or bounce it back to the government, and getting a returned payment reissued takes weeks.
The Four Ways to Make the Change
Online Through My Social Security
This is the fastest option. Sign in to your my Social Security account at ssa.gov, open the direct deposit section, and enter your new routing number, account number, and account type.2Social Security Administration. Update Direct Deposit The online option is available to Social Security beneficiaries. If you receive Supplemental Security Income, you may need to call or visit a local office instead.3Social Security Administration. My Social Security – What Is an Account
By Phone
Call 1-800-772-1213, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. local time. The TTY line for deaf or hard-of-hearing callers is 1-800-325-0778.4Social Security Administration. Contact Social Security by Phone The representative will verify your identity before changing anything. Have your Social Security number, the new bank information, and something to write down a confirmation number.
At a Local Office
You can visit your nearest Social Security office and make the change with a claims representative. Schedule an appointment through your my Social Security account or by calling the number above, and bring a photo ID along with your new bank details.2Social Security Administration. Update Direct Deposit
Through Your New Bank
Many banks can send your updated direct deposit information to Social Security through a process called Automated Enrollment, or ENR. Ask your new bank whether it offers the service. If it does, the bank transmits your details to SSA so you don’t have to contact the agency yourself.2Social Security Administration. Update Direct Deposit
Keep Your Old Account Open Until the First Payment Lands
The change doesn’t take effect instantly. Depending on where you are in the payment cycle, your next payment may still go to your old account. Leave the old account open and active until you confirm that a full benefit payment has arrived in the new one.
Closing the old account too early is the most common mistake people make with this process. If SSA sends a payment to a closed account, the bank rejects it and returns the funds to the government, and reissuing them to your new account can take several weeks. Once you see the full deposit hit the new account on your regular payment date, you can safely close the old one.
When Your Payment Arrives
Social Security pays benefits on a monthly schedule tied to your birth date:5Social Security Administration. Schedule of Social Security Benefit Payments 2026-2027
- Born on the 1st through the 10th: second Wednesday of the month.
- Born on the 11th through the 20th: third Wednesday of the month.
- Born on the 21st through the 31st: fourth Wednesday of the month.
If your payment date is only a few days away when you submit the change, expect the switch to take effect the following month. Check the new account on your scheduled date to confirm the deposit arrived.
If You’re a Representative Payee
If you receive benefits on someone else’s behalf as their representative payee, the process is the same, but the bank account has to be titled so it’s clear the beneficiary owns the funds and you’re acting as their financial agent. Acceptable titling looks like “Jane Smith by John Smith, representative payee” or “John Smith, representative payee for Jane Smith.”6Social Security Administration. A Guide for Representative Payees Don’t use a joint account, and the beneficiary shouldn’t have direct access to it. Payments to representative payees must also be electronic.7Social Security Administration. Representative Payee Program
If You Don’t Have a Bank Account
Federal law requires Social Security and SSI payments to be delivered electronically. If you don’t have a bank account to switch to, the alternative is the Direct Express Debit Mastercard, a prepaid card that your monthly benefit is loaded onto automatically. There’s no signup cost and no monthly fee.8Bureau 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. ET.
If You Live Outside the United States
SSA offers international direct deposit to banks in over 100 countries, covering most of Europe, the Americas, and parts of Asia and Africa.9Social Security Administration. Country List 6 – International Programs To set up or change international direct deposit, contact a Federal Benefits Unit. The standard online portal and domestic phone line won’t handle this.2Social Security Administration. Update Direct Deposit
Protecting the Change From Fraud
Scammers routinely impersonate SSA by phone, email, text, and social media to redirect other people’s benefits. SSA will not ask for your bank details through social media, and it will not call demanding immediate payment by gift card, wire transfer, or cryptocurrency. Common red flags include threats to seize your bank account, offers to move your money to a “protected” account, and pressure to hand over information right away.10Social Security Administration. Protect Yourself From Scams
If you want an extra layer of security, you can add a Direct Deposit Fraud Prevention block to your record. Once the block is in place, no one, including you, can change your direct deposit or address through the my Social Security portal or through a bank’s automated enrollment. The only way to make a change is in person at a local office or through your representative.11Social Security Administration. Fraud Prevention and Reporting
If you believe someone has already changed your direct deposit without your permission, report it to the SSA Office of the Inspector General online at oig.ssa.gov or call the fraud hotline at 1-800-269-0271, Monday through Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. ET, excluding federal holidays.11Social Security Administration. Fraud Prevention and Reporting