Under the law, your payments cannot begin until you have been disabled for at least five full months. Payments usually start with your sixth month of disability. Because of advances in medical science and rehabilitation techniques, many people with disabilities recover from serious accidents and illnesses. Your case will be reviewed at regular intervals. You are responsible for telling Social Security if your medical condition improves, if there is any change in your ability to work or if you return to work. Social Security benefits are paid each month. Direct deposit is a simple, safe and secure way to automatically receive your benefits. Contact your bank, savings and loan or credit union to help you sign up, or contact Social Security. If you do not have an account, you may want to consider an Electronic Transfer Account. This low-cost federally-insured account lets you enjoy the safety, security and convenience of automatic payments. The U.S. Treasury Department believes that switching to electronic payments will save taxpayers about $1 billion over the next ten years. 10,000 people become eligible for Social Security every day and it costs 92 cents more to send a paper check than it does to send payment electronically by direct deposit. On March 1, 2013, beneficiaries who receive their benefits by check will be required to make the change to direct deposit. People who apply for benefits on or after May 1, 2011 will be required to choose an electronic payment option at the time they sign up for their benefits; applicants will need to provide their bank's routing transit number, their account number and whether the account is a checking or savings account. One of the main drawbacks to the Direct Express card is that it does not automatically send you a statement of your deposits and withdrawals like a bank does. You can request that Direct Express send you a monthly paper statement, but there is a monthly fee, and you have to call them to sign up for this service. You can also go online if you have computer access and check your transaction history.
