You can change your Social Security bank account online, by phone, or by mail
Social Security lets you change the bank account where your payments land at any time. You do not need permission from your bank or Social Security office — you can start the process yourself in minutes. The fastest way is through your personal Social Security account online, but you can also call or mail in a form if that works better for you.
The change usually takes effect within one or two months, though Social Security says to allow up to three months to be safe. Your old account will stop receiving payments once the switch is complete. You should not close the old account until you see a payment hit the new one, just in case there is a delay.
Key Takeaways
- You can change your Social Security bank account through your online account, by calling 1-800-772-1213, or by mailing a completed form to your local Social Security office.
- You will need your new bank's routing number and your account number — both appear on a blank check or you can ask your bank for them.
- The change takes one to three months to take effect, so keep your old account open until you see a payment in the new one.
- If you change accounts because your old bank closed or froze your account, tell Social Security the reason when you report the change.
Changing your account online through your Social Security account
Go to ssa.gov and sign into your personal account using your username and password. If you do not have an account yet, you can create one on the same page — it takes about 10 minutes and requires your Social Security number, email address, and a phone number.
Once you are logged in, look for a section called "Manage Your Representative Payee" or "Change Your Direct Deposit Information" — the exact wording changes, but it will be under a heading about payment or banking. Click into that section and enter your new bank's routing number and your account number. Social Security will ask you to confirm the information before you submit it.
You will get a confirmation message on screen and an email to the address on file. Keep that email — it is your proof that you made the request. The change will show in your account as "pending" until Social Security processes it, which usually happens within a few days.
Changing your account by phone
Call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213. Have your new bank's routing number and account number ready before you call. The representative will ask you to confirm your identity by answering questions about your Social Security record, then will update your account information while you are on the phone.
Ask the representative to give you a confirmation number before you hang up. Write it down — if something goes wrong with the change, that number is how you prove you made the request. The representative will also tell you when to expect the change to take effect.
Changing your account by mail
read or request Form SSA-1199-OP1 (Direct Deposit Sign-Up Form). You can read it from ssa.gov, or call 1-800-772-1213 and ask them to mail it to you. Fill in your new bank's routing number and account number, sign the form, and mail it to your local Social Security office.
You can find your local office address on ssa.gov by entering your zip code. Mail the form certified mail with return receipt if you want proof it arrived, though regular mail works fine. The change will take longer this way — usually four to six weeks — because Social Security has to receive and process the paper form.
What information you need from your bank
Before you start the change, you need two pieces of information: your new bank's routing number and your account number. The routing number is a nine-digit code that identifies your specific bank branch. The account number is the number of the account itself.
The easiest way to find both is to look at a blank check from your new account — the routing number is the first set of numbers on the bottom left, and the account number is the second set. If you do not have checks, call your bank's customer service line and ask for both numbers. They can give them to you in seconds.
Make sure you are giving Social Security the routing number for the bank branch where you opened the account, not a general bank number. If you give the wrong routing number, your payment will go to the wrong place and you will have to start the change process over.
What happens during the waiting period
After you request the change, your Social Security payment will continue going to your old account for one to three months while Social Security processes the request. Do not close the old account during this time, even if you do not see a payment for a few weeks. If there is a delay in the system, a payment might still be sent to the old account, and you will need it to be there.
Once you see a payment land in your new account, you can safely close the old one. If you close it too early and a payment arrives after, your bank will return it to Social Security, and you will have to request the change again.
If your old account was closed or frozen
If your bank closed your account or froze it without your permission, tell Social Security when you report the change. This matters because Social Security needs to know what happened to any payments that were sent to the old account while it was closed. If a payment was returned, Social Security can resend it to your new account.
When you change your account online or by phone, there is usually a place to add a note explaining why you are changing. Write something like "Old account closed by bank on [date]" or "Old account frozen without notice." If you are mailing a form, write the explanation on the back of the form or include a separate note.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take for the change to show up?
Social Security says to allow one to three months. Most changes happen within four to six weeks, but the timeline depends on how busy Social Security's processing center is and whether you submitted the request online, by phone, or by mail. Mail takes longer than the other two methods.
What if I give Social Security the wrong bank information?
If you realize you made a mistake before your next payment, contact Social Security right away and request another change with the correct information. If a payment already went to the wrong account, call your bank and ask them to help you recover it. Then submit the correct information to Social Security.
Can I change my account more than once?
Yes, you can change it as many times as you need to. There is no limit on how many times you can update your bank information. Just remember that each change takes one to three months to process, so avoid changing it too frequently or you may miss payments.
Do I need to tell my bank I am receiving Social Security payments?
No, you do not need to tell your bank anything. Social Security will send the payment to whatever account number you provide. Your bank will accept it like any other deposit. You may want to let your bank know for your own record-keeping, but it is not required.
What if I do not have a bank account yet?
You will need to open one before you can change your Social Security payments to it. Once you have the account open and have your routing number and account number, you can follow the steps above to update Social Security.