Background:
On March 25, 2025, President Trump issued Executive Order (EO) 14247, “Modernizing Payments To and From America's Bank Account”. EO 14247 mandates the transition to electronic payments for all Federal disbursements and receipts by digitizing payments to the extent permissible under applicable law. As delineated in the EO, the continued use of paper-based payments by the Federal Government, including checks, “imposes unnecessary costs; delays; and risks of fraud, lost payments, theft, and inefficiencies.” The EO establishes a 9/30/2025 deadline for transitioning all paper checks to electronic payments.
Impact on FECA Claimants:
This transition affects a small group of claimants/beneficiaries who have not yet switched to electronic payment methods and are still in receipt of paper checks.
Affected claimants were mailed letters on August 1, 2025. If you receive or received this letter, please follow the instructions to complete the Standard Form (SF)-1199A (Direct Deposit Sign Up Form). It is important to act as soon as possible so that your payments can continue without interruption.
Forms may be submitted via ECOMP or mail to the central mailroom:
DFEC Central Mailroom, PO Box 8311, London, KY 40742-8300
Notes:
- Claimants who sign up for EFT will still receive a benefits statement.
- As an alternative to submitting the SF-1199A, claimants may sign up for EFT by submitting a voided check copy (accompanied by signed claimant statement). EFT requests must contain all relevant banking information.
- If you do not have a bank account, you can still receive electronic payments. The U.S. Treasury operates the Direct Express debit card program for people without a bank account. The Direct Express card is a prepaid debit card designed specifically for federal benefit Payments. To sign up, please fill out the Direct Express sign up form and submit to DFEC through ECOMP or by mail to: DFEC Central Mailroom, PO Box 8311, London, KY 40742-8300