Nearly 2.4 million Social Security recipients in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states, mostly senior citizens and people with disabilities, will receive information about a new prepaid debit card option for federal benefits with their monthly checks in July.

The Direct Express^® Debit MasterCard^® card – designed as a safe, convenient alternative to paper checks – will be introduced by the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Financial Management Service (FMS) to Social Security recipients in Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia.

The Direct Express card is a new option for federal beneficiaries who do not have a bank account, but are looking for a no-cost or low-cost alternative to using check cashing facilities and carrying large amounts of cash. There is no sign-up fee and no bank account or credit check is required to enroll. Cardholders can make purchases, pay bills and get cash at thousands of ATMs and retail locations nationwide.

Treasury has engaged a financial agent – Dallas-based Comerica Bank – to issue this nationally available card exclusively for payment of federal benefits.

Senior citizens, people with disabilities and other Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients may sign up for the optional card by calling toll-free 1-877-212-9991 or visiting www.USDirectExpress.com.

• Nearly 2.4 million Social Security recipients in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states, mostly senior citizens and people with disabilities, will receive information about the new Direct Express card with their monthly checks in July.
• About 4 million Social Security and SSI recipients nationally (approximately 780,000 in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states) do not have bank accounts and, until now, have had to rely on paper check payments.
• Last year, 700,000 Social Security and SSI paper checks were reported lost or stolen and the payments had to be reissued.

• Safe: The Direct Express card eliminates the risk of lost or stolen checks, giving people access to their money without the need to carry large amounts of cash. The cards are PIN-protected and funds are FDIC-insured.
• No- or low-cost: Features built into the Direct Express card are aimed at reducing or eliminating the cost of using the card. There is no cost to sign up for the card and no monthly fee.
• Convenient: Cardholders can make purchases at no cost wherever Debit MasterCard^® is accepted and use the card to pay bills and get cash at ATMs.