Change your bank by contacting Social Security, not your bank

To change which bank receives your Social Security payments, you contact the Social Security Administration directly—not your current bank or your new bank. Social Security maintains the routing information for your direct deposit, and you update it through them. The process takes about one week once Social Security receives your request, though your old bank may hold the final payment for a few business days after the switch.

You have three ways to submit the change: online through your personal my Social Security account, by phone to Social Security's main line, or in person at your local Social Security office. Online is fastest if you already have an account set up. Phone and in-person routes work if you do not have online access or prefer to speak to someone.

Key Takeaways

  • Contact Social Security directly to change your direct deposit bank, not your current or new bank.
  • You can update your bank information online through my Social Security, by calling 1-800-772-1213, or at your local office.
  • The change typically takes about one week to process once Social Security receives your request.
  • Have your new bank's routing number and your account number ready before you start the process.
  • Your old bank may hold your final payment for several business days after the switch, so do not close the account immediately.

Update your bank online through my Social Security

If you have a my Social Security account, logging in and updating your direct deposit information is the fastest route. Go to ssa.gov, click "Sign In" in the top right, and enter your username, password, and any two-factor authentication code. Once logged in, look for "Direct Deposit" or "Payment Information" in the menu—the exact label varies depending on when your account was created.

Click into that section and select the option to change your bank. You will be asked for your new bank's routing number (a nine-digit code) and your account number. If you do not know your routing number, your new bank can provide it, or you can search for it on your bank's website or by calling their customer service line. Enter both numbers carefully—a mistake here means your payment goes to the wrong account. Social Security will show you a preview of the change before you confirm it. Once you submit, the change is queued and typically takes five to seven business days to process.

Change your bank by phone with Social Security

Call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778 for deaf and hard of hearing callers). The line is open Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. your local time. Have your Social Security number, your new bank's routing number, and your new account number ready before you call. Wait times are often shorter early in the morning or late in the afternoon.

When you reach a representative, tell them you want to change your direct deposit bank. They will ask you to verify your identity by confirming your Social Security number, date of birth, and possibly your mother's maiden name or the last four digits of a phone number on file. Once verified, they will ask for your new routing and account numbers, read them back to you to confirm, and process the change on the spot. The representative will give you a confirmation number—write it down. The change takes effect within five to seven business days.

Change your bank in person at a Social Security office

Visit your local Social Security office with your Social Security card (or a document that shows your number), a photo ID, and proof of your new bank account. Proof of the account can be a bank statement, a deposit slip, or a letter from the bank on official letterhead showing your name and account number. Bring your new bank's routing number as well, though the office staff can look it up if you do not have it.

Tell the receptionist you need to update your direct deposit information. You will be called to a window where a representative will verify your identity, review your new bank details, and submit the change. This method is slower than online or phone if you have to travel to the office, but it is useful if you do not have internet access or prefer to handle it face-to-face. The change still takes five to seven business days to process after the office submits it.

What happens to your payment during the switch

Your next scheduled Social Security payment will go to your new bank once the change is processed. If a payment was already scheduled to go to your old bank before the change took effect, it will still go there—Social Security cannot redirect a payment that has already been submitted to the banking system. That final payment to your old bank may take a few extra business days to appear because your old bank processes it after the switch is complete.

Do not close your old bank account immediately after changing your direct deposit. Leave it open for at least two weeks to make sure the final payment arrives and clears. Once you see the payment in your new account and confirm the old account has received its final deposit, you can close the old account if you want to. If a payment does not arrive within ten business days of when it was scheduled, contact Social Security to confirm the change went through correctly.

Fixing a mistake if you entered the wrong bank information

If you realize you gave Social Security the wrong routing number or account number, contact them again as soon as possible using any of the three methods above. The sooner you catch the error, the better—if the payment has not yet been sent to the wrong account, Social Security can stop it and redirect it. If the payment has already been sent to an incorrect account, you will need to contact that bank to ask them to return the funds. Banks are required to return misdirected deposits, but it can take one to two weeks.

To prevent this mistake, double-check your routing and account numbers before submitting them. Your bank statement shows your account number. Your bank's website, a call to customer service, or a search on the American Bankers Association routing number database will confirm your routing number. Entering these numbers correctly the first time saves you the hassle of fixing it later.

Changing banks if you receive SSI instead of Social Security

If you receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) rather than Social Security retirement or disability benefits, the process is the same: contact Social Security to change your direct deposit bank. Use the same phone number (1-800-772-1213), the same my Social Security website, or visit your local office. SSI payments are also processed through Social Security's system, so the routing and account information is updated in the same way.

The timeline is also the same—five to seven business days from the time Social Security receives your request. There is no difference in how quickly the change takes effect between Social Security retirement, disability, and SSI payments. All three payment types use the same direct deposit system and the same update process.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change my direct deposit bank online if I do not have a my Social Security account?

No, you need an existing my Social Security account to update your information online. If you do not have one, you can create an account on ssa.gov, but it requires a valid email address and takes a few minutes to set up. Alternatively, you can call 1-800-772-1213 or visit your local office to make the change without an online account.

How long does it take for my first payment to arrive at my new bank?

Once Social Security processes the change (five to seven business days), your next scheduled payment goes to your new bank. That payment then takes one to three business days to appear in your account, depending on your new bank's processing speed. So the total time from submitting the change to seeing money in your new account is usually one to two weeks.

What if my new bank's routing number is different from what I found online?

Call your bank's customer service line and ask them directly for the routing number associated with your specific branch and account type. Routing numbers can vary by branch and by whether the account is checking or savings, so it is worth confirming with the bank rather than relying on a general search result.

Do I need to tell my old bank that I am switching my direct deposit?

No, you do not need to notify your old bank. Once Social Security processes the change, future payments simply will not arrive there. You should leave the old account open for at least two weeks to receive the final payment, then you can close it if you want to.

What if I change my mind and want to switch banks again?

You can change your direct deposit bank as many times as you need to. Use the same process—online, phone, or in person—and Social Security will process the new change within five to seven business days. There is no limit on how many times you can update your bank information.