Social Security Checks

• When you are approved to receive Social Security benefits, you start receiving monthly checks with the amount of benefits you are eligible to receive. These payments help you pay your monthly expenses, especially if you are disabled. The amount you receive varies according to the program from which you are receiving payments.
  
  

Nondue Checks

• In some cases, you may continue receiving monthly Social Security checks even after you are no longer eligible to receive them or if you have made a personal request for payments to stop. If you receive a benefits check that was not due, you must return it to the Social Security office nearest you and let the office know that these checks are not due. According to the Social Security publication, "What You Need To Know When You Get Social Security Disability Benefits," you can also return the check to the U.S. Treasury Department, whose address is on the envelope with your check. If you choose to return the check by mail, you must write "void" on the check and send it with a letter explaining the reason you are returning the payment.
  
  

Nondue Direct Deposit

• Some people set up a direct deposit when they apply for benefits. If you received a direct deposit with a nondue benefit, you must call the Social Security office and explain why you no longer want to receive payments. A Social Security agent will tell you how to return the payment. You can also visit the nearest office to explain the problem.
  
  

End of Eligibility

• Once your retirement benefits start, they do not stop until the day of your death, but you still might receive a check that was not due to you. You also might receive disability or SSI benefit checks that are not due. Disability benefit checks may stop if you no longer meet the eligibility requirements. To find out whether you are still eligible, you must regularly report any changes in your economic situation or disability status to the Social Security Administration. You can also request that the Social Security Administration stop sending you checks if you no longer want to receive benefits. Notify the nearest Social Security office of your request.
  
  

Warnings

• Do not keep or accept benefits that are not due to you. The Social Security Administration has the authority to file criminal charges against you if it discovers that you have accepted or kept a nondue check.