The change will primarily affect a small group of beneficiaries who have not made the switch to electronic payment methods yet, per the SSA. Less than 1% of beneficiaries are enrolled in paper checks and are encouraged to enroll in direct deposit or opt for the Direct Express card to receive their monthly benefits on time.

Social Security recipients will no longer receive paper checks. They will need to get them by wire or via a debit card. The news means a decades-long practice by which people received checks by mail is over.

More than half a million social security recipients will soon need to choose another way to receive their benefits.