Updated

Updated · AS USA · Jul 16

SSA Sends July 22 Social Security Payments to 71.3 Million Beneficiaries Born 21st-31st

Updated

Updated · AS USA · Jul 16

SSA Sends July 22 Social Security Payments to 71.3 Million Beneficiaries Born 21st-31st

Q: As a new bank takes over Direct Express, what must 3.6 million cardholders do to protect their monthly Social Security payments?

Direct Express cardholders should make sure the Social Security Administration has their current mailing address and other contact details, then watch for the official replacement notice and activate the new card as soon as it arrives. That matters because Fifth Third Bank is taking over the Direct Express program from Comerica Bank, and about 3.6 million existing users will be moved over as their current cards expire. The biggest practical risk is a new card being mailed to an old address, which could interrupt access to monthly Social Security or SSI payments. Once the new Fifth Third card arrives, beneficiaries should activate it promptly through the updated Direct Express app, the secure website, or the phone number on the card, and set up a new four-digit PIN. Until that activation happens, the old Comerica-issued card is expected to keep working, and benefit payments should continue to be deposited automatically on the normal schedule. Anyone unsure whether their address is current can update it through their my Social Security account, by calling the SSA, or by visiting a Social Security office. Experts on the transition have emphasized that keeping contact information current is the key step to avoid delays or missed access to benefits.

2 articles · Updated · AS USA · Jul 16

July 22 marks the final regular Social Security payday for July 2026, covering recipients born on the 21st through 31st of any month.
The SSA staggers most payments across the second, third and fourth Wednesdays—July 8 for birthdays 1st-10th, July 15 for 11th-20th, and July 22 for 21st-31st.
July 2 payments already went to beneficiaries who began receiving Social Security before May 1997 and to people who also receive SSI; July SSI itself was paid July 1 because July 3 was a federal holiday.
Average monthly benefits cited by the SSA are $2,029.92 for retirees, $1,496.16 for disability recipients and $1,631.39 for survivor beneficiaries.