Social Security direct deposit account change showing old account still - what should I do?

I had the exact same issue last year. The rep at the SSA office told me it would take 24-48 hours, but it actually took about 7-10 business days for the new account to show up online. Even though the website was still showing my old account, my payment actually went to the new account! Their system updates the payment routing faster than the online portal updates. I'd recommend not making any additional changes online as it might actually delay things further or create confusion in their system.

When you make direct deposit changes in person at an SSA office, it typically takes 7-10 business days for those changes to be fully processed and reflected in the online system. However, the actual payment routing often updates in their internal system before the website shows the change. I would strongly recommend NOT making another change online, as having multiple pending requests can cause delays or even payment errors. If you're concerned, you can call the SSA at 1-800-772-1213 to confirm that your change request is in the system and which account your upcoming payment will be directed to.

same thing happened when i changed mine!!! website showed old account for like 2 weeks but payment still went to new account. dont worry about it

The SSA systems are INCREDIBLY slow to update! This is completely normal though frustrating. Their internal payment system and their web portal are separate systems that don't sync in real-time. I've been dealing with SSA for 14 years (I'm on SSDI) and this happens EVERY TIME anything changes. DO NOT submit another change request - it'll just restart the process and possibly cause your payment to be delayed. The change you made in person WILL be effective for your next payment even if the website doesn't show it yet.

I would call and double-check because when I changed my direct deposit last year, they made a mistake and my payment went to my old closed account! Had to wait an extra 3 weeks to get my money!

I did it in person at the office but the lady must have typed something wrong. Just make sure to call and verify before payment day!

The direct deposit change process at SSA has a few quirks that aren't well explained to beneficiaries. When you submit a change in person, it's entered into their payment processing system first. The MySocialSecurity portal pulls data from a different database that updates less frequently. Based on the Sept 17th date, your change should be effective for your next payment even if the website doesn't reflect it yet. If you're concerned, you can request a written confirmation of the change at your local office. They can print out verification showing which account will receive your next payment.

WAIT!! Whatever you do, DO NOT submit another change online!!! That will override your in-person request and could delay your payment by 30+ days! This happened to my mother and she ended up having to get an emergency payment. The SSA computer systems are ancient and don't talk to each other well. Your change IS in their system even if the website doesn't show it.

btw my sister works for social security and she says this happens ALL THE TIME. the website updating slow is normal, but your money will go to right place

I'm going through this exact same situation right now! Changed my direct deposit at the SSA office three weeks ago and the website still shows my old account. Reading through all these responses is so helpful - I was getting really anxious about it. It sounds like this is just how their systems work (or don't work together). I'm definitely not going to try changing it online after seeing all the warnings about that causing delays. Has anyone here actually had their payment go to the wrong account after making an in-person change, or do the horror stories mostly come from online changes getting mixed up?

As someone who just went through this process last month, I can confirm what everyone else is saying - the website lag is totally normal and frustrating! I made my change in person on a Tuesday and it took until the following Friday for the website to show the new account. But my payment went to the correct new account even before the website updated. The key thing I learned is that SSA has multiple computer systems that don't sync up in real time. Your in-person change goes into their payment processing system immediately, but the MySocialSecurity website pulls from a different database that updates much slower. Since you made your change on Sept 17th, you should be all set for your October payment. Just resist the urge to "fix" it online!

I work as a benefits counselor and see this issue constantly with my clients. The disconnect between SSA's payment processing system and their online portal is one of the most confusing aspects of their technology setup. Your September 17th in-person change is absolutely in their system and will be effective for your October payment, even though the website hasn't caught up yet. The MySocialSecurity portal can take anywhere from 1-3 weeks to reflect changes made in person at field offices. This is because they use different databases that sync on different schedules. My advice: don't touch anything online, don't make additional requests, and trust that your in-person change is working behind the scenes. If you absolutely need peace of mind, visit your local office again and ask them to print a "proof of direct deposit" form that shows which account your next payment will go to. This is an internal form they can generate that shows real-time payment routing information.

I just want to add my voice to everyone else reassuring you - this is completely normal! I changed my direct deposit in person at my local SSA office about 6 months ago and went through the exact same panic when the website didn't update for almost 2 weeks. But sure enough, my payment went to the new account even while the old one was still showing online. The most important thing I learned from that experience is exactly what everyone here is saying: DO NOT try to "fix" it by submitting another change online. That can actually mess things up and delay your payment. The in-person change you made on September 17th is already in their payment system, even if their website hasn't caught up yet. These government systems are notoriously slow to sync up with each other, but the actual payment routing gets updated much faster than what you can see on your end. You should be all set for your October payment!

I'm new to this community but wanted to share what just happened to me - I had the exact same issue last week! Changed my direct deposit in person at the SSA office and the website still showed my old account for 10 days. I was so worried I actually went back to the office to ask about it. The representative explained that their payment system and the MySocialSecurity website are completely separate and update at different times. She showed me on her computer that my new account information was already active in their payment system even though I couldn't see it online. Sure enough, my payment went to the correct new account yesterday! The key thing she told me was to NEVER submit duplicate requests online because it can override the in-person change and cause major delays. Your September 17th change should definitely be active for your October payment - the website lag is just their normal (frustrating) process.

I'm new to this community and dealing with Social Security for the first time. This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm in a similar situation - made a direct deposit change in person about 10 days ago and have been checking the website obsessively. Reading everyone's experiences here has really put my mind at ease. It's clear this website lag is completely normal and that the in-person changes are reliable. I especially appreciate all the warnings about NOT making changes online - I was actually considering doing that tomorrow but now I know it could mess everything up. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences, especially those who explained the technical reasons why their systems don't sync up properly. This community is such a valuable resource for people navigating SSA processes!

I'm new to this community and just wanted to say thank you to everyone who has shared their experiences here! I'm going through my first time dealing with Social Security and made a direct deposit change in person two weeks ago. Like many others here, I've been worried seeing my old account still showing online. Reading through all these responses has been incredibly reassuring - it's clear this website lag is completely normal and that in-person changes are reliable even when the online portal doesn't reflect them immediately. I especially appreciate everyone's warnings about not making duplicate changes online, as I was actually considering that before finding this thread. It's frustrating that SSA doesn't explain these system delays when you visit in person, but this community is such a valuable resource for understanding how their processes actually work. Thanks for helping newcomers like me navigate these confusing systems!