The Choice Group

If you currently receive your Social Security or SSI benefits by paper check, it’s important to know that after September 30, 2025, paper checks will no longer be issued. From that date forward, all benefits will only be delivered electronically, either through direct deposit to a bank account or onto a prepaid Direct Express debit card. While the Social Security Administration (SSA) points to cost savings and fraud prevention as reasons for this change, many advocates are raising serious concerns about how it will affect people with disabilities, older adults, and others who rely on paper checks. For many, paper checks are not just a payment method — they are a trusted, accessible, and familiar lifeline. Here are some of the biggest concerns experts have raised: Loss of Access: Not everyone has a bank account, smartphone, or internet connection. Without those, electronic-only payments can be very difficult to manage. Digital Divide: People living with disabilities or without stable ho...

Did you know Virginia had its own disability rights law five years before the Americans with Disabilities Act was passed? The Virginians with Disabilities Act (VDA) was signed into law in 1985 and has been protecting the rights of millions of people with disabilities across the Commonwealth ever since. Learn more about how this important law has evolved over the years in the timeline below. 1950s – Virginia passes its first white cane laws, requiring drivers to yield to pedestrians with vision loss and making it illegal for anyone without a disability to carry a white cane. These laws lay early groundwork for disability protections in the state. 1973 – The federal Rehabilitation Act prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in federally funded programs, influencing state-level efforts across the country. 1984 – The Virginians with Disabilities Act (VDA) is introduced to the General Assembly. The bill aims to expand protections to people with both physical and mental ...