VA makes New Year's push for paperless benefits
Published: December 28, 2010
WASHINGTON – Department of Veterans Affairs officials are urging vets to make enrolling for direct electronic payments one of their New Year’s resolutions in 2011.
Earlier this month, Treasury officials announced new regulations to phase out all paper checks for federal benefits by March 2013. That includes VA payouts to veterans and family members, as well as Social Security checks and Supplemental Security Income.
Starting May 2011, all veterans receiving compensation or pension payouts from the VA will be automatically enrolled in the electronic payment system, and will not receive paper checks.
Anyone who currently receives checks in the mail for those benefits won’t have to change until March 2013, but Veterans Affairs officials are encouraging those individuals to make the change sooner rather than later.
“Receiving VA benefits electronically will increase the security, convenience and reliability of these vital payments,” VA Secretary Eric Shinseki said in a statement. “The VA encourages veterans who are now receiving their benefits in paper checks to set up direct deposits before the deadline.”
Individuals who refuse the electronic transfer will receive their VA monies through a pre-paid debit card system. For more information about the switch, visit www.GoDirect.org.
