How to change direct deposit bank account for Social Security benefits without losing payments?
I'm finally switching from my old bank (where I've been for 20+ years) to a credit union with better rates. Need to update my direct deposit info for my Social Security retirement benefits but I'm really nervous about messing something up. My neighbor said her payments got delayed for over 6 weeks when she changed banks! I absolutely cannot afford to miss a payment - my mortgage and medication costs depend on that money arriving on time. Do I need to visit my local SS office in person? Can I do this online? How far in advance should I make this change? Will there be a gap where I don't receive my benefits? The last thing I need is some computer glitch sending my $2,475 monthly payment into the void!
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Rudy Cenizo
You can easily change your direct deposit info online through your my Social Security account at ssa.gov. I did this last year when I switched to an online bank. Just make sure you have your new account number and routing number ready. The change usually takes effect with your next scheduled payment if you do it at least 3 business days before your payment date. I'd recommend keeping both accounts open for at least one payment cycle just to be safe.
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Harmony Love
•Thanks for the quick response! I do have a my Social Security account but I haven't logged in for ages. Need to find my password. So you didn't experience any delay at all? I'm scheduled to get paid on the 3rd Wednesday (I was born on the 19th), so I should do this change at least 3 days before that date?
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Natalie Khan
DONT DO IT ONLINE!!!! The SSA website is HORRIBLE and full of GLITCHES! My sister tried to change her direct deposit online and her payment completely disappeared for 2 months!!! You NEED to go to the office in person and get a receipt that proves you made the change. Trust me on this one.
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Harmony Love
•Oh no, that's exactly what I'm afraid of! Was your sister able to get back the missing payments? Did she have to do anything special to fix the problem?
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Daryl Bright
I'm a retired financial advisor who's helped many clients with this exact situation. Here's the most reliable approach: 1) Keep BOTH bank accounts open during the transition period 2) Make the change through your my Social Security account OR by calling SSA directly at 1-800-772-1213 3) Make the change about 2 weeks before your payment date 4) Verify the change went through by checking your my Social Security account a few days later 5) After receiving your payment at the new bank, you can safely close the old account The horror stories typically happen when people close their old account before confirming the new direct deposit is working. The system is actually quite reliable when done correctly.
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Harmony Love
•This is extremely helpful, thank you! I was planning to close my old account right away to avoid the monthly fees, but I'll keep it open until I see a successful deposit. Is there any confirmation I should look for after making the change online?
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Sienna Gomez
I changed my direct deposit last year and tried calling that 800 number for THREE DAYS. Constant busy signals, disconnects, and wait times over 2 hours! Finally gave up and tried the website but kept getting error messages. What a nightmare!! Eventually had to take a day off work to go to my local office and wait 3 hours. The whole system is designed to make you give up.
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Kirsuktow DarkBlade
•I had the same frustrating experience trying to call SSA last month when I needed to update my address. After getting disconnected four times, I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to a live agent in under 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU. Saved me hours of frustration and was worth it to actually talk to a human who confirmed my changes went through properly.
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Abigail bergen
my daughter changed my direct deposit at the bank. the bank sent the form to SS. took about 10 days no problems at all. didn't need to go online or call anyone.
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Harmony Love
•That's interesting! I didn't know banks could help with this. Did you have to sign anything or was your daughter just able to do it all for you?
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Ahooker-Equator
just wanted to say im doing the same thing next month so thanks for asking this!!! all the comments are super helpful. good luck with your switch!
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Rudy Cenizo
•When you do make the change, be sure to print or take screenshots of any confirmation screens. I forgot to do this and spent a week worrying whether the change went through properly. Documentation is your friend when dealing with SSA!
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Daryl Bright
Regarding the question about bank assistance: While some banks offer to help with direct deposit changes, the official SSA policy requires that YOU initiate any changes to your direct deposit. This is for your protection against fraud. Your options are: 1) Online through my Social Security account 2) By phone at 1-800-772-1213 3) In person at your local Social Security office Banks can provide the necessary routing and account information, but the actual request should come directly from you to SSA. Some smaller banks and credit unions might have special relationships with SSA that allow them to submit the paperwork, but this isn't the standard procedure.
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Harmony Love
•That makes sense as a security measure. I think I'll try the online method first through my SSA account, and if I run into any issues, I'll try calling. I really appreciate everyone's advice! I'll keep both accounts open until I see that first deposit hit my new account.
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Sienna Gomez
What nobody mentioned is that your payment date might change depending on when you started receiving benefits! My mom switched banks and suddenly her payment date changed from the 3rd of the month to the 2nd Wednesday. The SSA rep said it had something to do with when she started getting benefits vs when she changed accounts. Just something else to watch out for!
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Daryl Bright
•This is incorrect information. Your payment date is determined by your birth date (if you began receiving benefits after May 1997) or when you first started receiving benefits (if before May 1997). Changing your direct deposit information does NOT affect your payment date. The confusion may have occurred because the change coincided with some other factor, but bank changes themselves don't trigger payment date changes.
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Natalie Khan
Update: I just spoke with my sister about what happened with her missing payments. Turns out she had entered her routing number wrong when doing it online (she typed a 3 instead of an 8). So I guess the online system DOES work if you're super careful about the numbers. Just triple-check everything!!
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Harmony Love
•Oh that's actually reassuring! I'll definitely double and triple check the numbers. Did she eventually get her missed payments or were they just gone?
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Natalie Khan
•Yes she got them eventually! She had to go to the office in person to sort it out, and they issued a special payment to her new account once they verified the correct info. Took about 3 weeks to resolve though.
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