The US Government Stops Paper Checks
The US Government Stops Paper Checks
美國政府停止發放紙本支票
Introduction
The US government will stop sending paper checks for Social Security and other payments. Now, people must get their money electronically.
美國政府將停止發放社會安全金及其他款項的紙本支票。現在，民眾必須透過電子方式領取款項。
Main Body
The government has a new rule. Agencies like the SSA and IRS must use electronic payments. Paper checks cost too much money. In 2024, the government spent over 657 million dollars on paper records.
政府有一項新規定。如 SSA 和 IRS 等機構必須使用電子支付。紙本支票成本過高。在 2024 年，政府在紙本紀錄上花費了超過 6 億 5,700 萬美元。
Electronic payments are safer. Paper checks are easy to steal or lose. They also cost more to make. One paper check costs about 3 dollars. Electronic transfers are much cheaper.
電子支付更安全。紙本支票容易被盜或遺失。此外，製作成本也較高。一張紙本支票約需 3 美元。電子轉帳則便宜許多。
Most people already use electronic payments. Only 1% of people still use paper checks. People can use a website or a special debit card to get their money. Some people can still get paper checks if they have health problems or live in very far places.
大多數人已經使用電子支付。僅有 1% 的人仍在使用紙本支票。民眾可以使用網站或專用簽帳卡來領取款項。若有健康問題或居住在極偏遠地區，部分人士仍可領取紙本支票。
Conclusion
The government will stop all paper checks by the end of 2026. Everyone must use electronic payments.
政府將在 2026 年底前停止所有紙本支票。所有人必須使用電子支付。
Vocabulary Learning
⚡ The 'Too' Rule
In the text, we see: "Paper checks cost too much money."
When we use too, it means more than we want. It is a negative feeling.
Examples from life:
- This coffee is too hot (I cannot drink it!)
- The bus is too slow (I am late!)
- The room is too small (I don't fit!)
🗝️ Words for 'Changing' (A2 Vocabulary)
Look at how the government is moving from old to new:
Old New
- Paper checks Electronic payments
- Physical mail Website / Debit card
Useful words used here:
- Stop: To end something (e.g., Stop using paper).
- Safe: Not in danger (e.g., Electronic is safer).
- Cheaper: Costs less money (e.g., Transfers are cheaper).
Vocabulary Learning
Federal Government Switches Benefit Payments to Electronic Systems
聯邦政府將福利款項轉為電子支付系統
Introduction
The United States federal government is stopping the use of paper checks for Social Security and other federal payments, replacing them with electronic transfer systems.
美國聯邦政府將停止使用紙本支票發放社會安全金及其他聯邦款項，並以電子轉帳系統取代。
Main Body
This change is based on Executive Order 14247, issued in March 2025. This order requires federal agencies, such as the Social Security Administration (SSA) and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), to move to electronic payments. The government emphasized that this move will modernize the financial system and reduce the risks associated with physical checks. Furthermore, the administration asserted that paper systems are too expensive, noting that processing paper records cost over $657 million in 2024.
此次變更係根據 2025 年 3 月發布的第 14247 號行政命令。該命令要求聯邦機構，例如社會安全局 (SSA) 和國稅局 (IRS)，必須轉向電子支付。政府強調，此舉將使金融系統現代化，並降低與實體支票相關的風險。此外，政府堅稱紙本系統成本過高，並指出 2024 年處理紙本紀錄的費用超過 6.57 億美元。
From a security perspective, the SSA argued that electronic payments are much safer. Data shows that paper checks are sixteen times more likely to be stolen or lost than digital transfers. Additionally, the Treasury Department reported a large difference in cost; a paper check costs about $3.07 to process, which is twenty times more expensive than an electronic transfer. Consequently, ending the use of paper checks is expected to save the government a significant amount of money every year.
從安全角度來看，社會安全局認為電子支付要安全得多。數據顯示，紙本支票被盜或遺失的可能性是電子轉帳的 16 倍。此外，財政部報告指出成本差異巨大；處理一張紙本支票約需 3.07 美元，比電子轉帳貴 20 倍。因此，停止使用紙本支票預計每年將為政府節省大量資金。
Most beneficiaries have already switched to electronic methods. By June 2026, fewer than 1% of Social Security recipients were still using paper checks. To help the remaining people, the SSA offers several options, such as the 'My Social Security' website and the Direct Express debit card for those without a bank account. However, the Treasury Department will allow some exceptions. For example, waivers may be granted for people with documented mental health issues, those living in very remote areas, or for specific national security reasons.
大多數受益人已轉用電子方式。到 2026 年 6 月為止，僅有不到 1% 的社會安全金領取者仍在使用紙本支票。為了協助其餘人士，社會安全局提供了數個選項，例如「My Social Security」網站，以及為沒有銀行帳戶者提供的 Direct Express 簽帳金融卡。然而，財政部將允許部分例外情況。例如，對於有證明之心理健康問題者、居住在極偏遠地區者，或基於特定國家安全原因者，可授予豁免。
Conclusion
The federal government will stop sending paper benefit checks by the end of 2026, meaning all eligible recipients must use electronic payment methods.
聯邦政府將在 2026 年底前停止發送紙本福利支票，這意味著所有符合資格的領取者必須使用電子支付方式。
Vocabulary Learning
🚀 The 'Connector' Leap: From Simple to Sophisticated
To move from A2 to B2, you must stop writing sentences like a list and start writing them like a web. A2 students use 'and', 'but', and 'because' constantly. B2 students use Logical Transition Markers to guide the reader.
🛠️ The Upgrade Map
Look at how this text replaces basic words with 'Power Connectors':
| Instead of saying... (A2) | Use this... (B2) | Context from the Text |
|---|---|---|
| And / Also | Furthermore / Additionally | "Furthermore, the administration asserted..." |
| So | Consequently | "Consequently, ending the use of paper checks..." |
| But | However | "However, the Treasury Department will allow..." |
🧠 Why this matters for your fluency
In the B2 world, we call these cohesive devices. When you use "Consequently," you aren't just adding information; you are telling the listener: "I am now about to explain the direct result of the previous fact."
🔍 Linguistic Spotlight: The 'Passive' Shift
Notice the phrase: "waivers may be granted."
An A2 student would say: "The government may give waivers."
The B2 Secret: By using the passive voice (be + past participle), the focus shifts from who is doing the action to what is happening. This makes your English sound more professional, objective, and academic.
Pro Tip: Use "may be [verb]ed" when you want to describe a possibility in a formal rule or law.
Vocabulary Learning
Mandatory Transition of Federal Benefit Disbursements to Electronic Modalities
聯邦福利發放強制轉型為電子模式
Introduction
The United States federal government is phasing out the issuance of paper checks for Social Security and other federal payments in favor of electronic transfer systems.
美國聯邦政府正逐步取消發行社會安全金及其他聯邦款項的紙質支票，轉而採用電子轉帳系統。
Main Body
The current transition is predicated upon Executive Order 14247, promulgated in March 2025, which mandates that federal agencies, including the Social Security Administration (SSA) and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), migrate to electronic payment systems. This policy directive aims to modernize fiscal infrastructure and mitigate the systemic vulnerabilities associated with physical currency instruments. The administration asserts that the maintenance of legacy paper-based systems is fiscally inefficient, noting an expenditure exceeding $657 million in fiscal year 2024 for the processing of paper records.
目前的轉型是基於 2025 年 3 月頒布的第 14247 號行政命令，要求包括社會安全局 (SSA) 與國稅局 (IRS) 在內的聯邦機構必須遷移至電子支付系統。此政策指令旨在使財政基礎設施現代化，並降低與實體貨幣工具相關的系統性漏洞。政府認為維持舊有的紙質系統在財政上缺乏效率，並指出 2024 財政年度處理紙質記錄的支出超過 6.57 億美元。
From a risk-management perspective, the SSA posits that electronic disbursements are significantly more secure, citing data indicating that paper checks are sixteen times more susceptible to theft, alteration, or delivery failure than digital alternatives. Furthermore, Treasury Department metrics demonstrate a substantial cost disparity, with the per-unit cost of a paper check averaging $3.07—approximately twenty times the cost of an automated electronic transfer. Consequently, the cessation of paper checks is projected to yield significant annual budgetary savings.
從風險管理角度來看，社會安全局認為電子發放方式顯著更為安全，數據顯示紙質支票被盜、篡改或遞送失敗的可能性是數位替代方案的 16 倍。此外，財政部的指標顯示出顯著的成本差異，每張紙質支票的平均成本為 3.07 美元，約為自動電子轉帳成本的 20 倍。因此，停止發行紙質支票預計將帶來顯著的年度預算節省。
Regarding stakeholder implementation, the vast majority of beneficiaries have already adopted electronic methods; as of June 2026, fewer than 1% of Social Security recipients continued to utilize paper checks. To facilitate the remaining transition, the SSA has provided several modalities for enrollment, including the 'My Social Security' portal and the Direct Express prepaid debit card program for unbanked individuals. While electronic payment is the established default, the Treasury Department maintains a framework for exemptions. Such waivers may be granted in instances of documented mental health challenges, residence in remote geographical areas lacking financial infrastructure, or specific national security and law enforcement requirements.
關於利益相關者的執行情況，絕大多數受益人已採用電子方式；截至 2026 年 6 月，繼續使用紙質支票的社會安全金領取者少於 1%。為了協助剩餘的轉型，社會安全局提供了多種登記方式，包括「我的社會安全」門戶網站，以及為無銀行帳戶人士提供的 Direct Express 預付借記卡計劃。雖然電子支付是既定的預設選項，但財政部仍維持一個豁免框架。在有證明之心理健康挑戰、居住於缺乏金融基礎設施的偏遠地區，或特定國家安全與執法要求的情況下，可授予此類豁免。
Conclusion
The federal government will cease the issuance of paper benefit checks by the end of 2026, requiring all eligible recipients to adopt electronic payment methods.
聯邦政府將在 2026 年底前停止發行紙質福利支票，要求所有符合資格的領取者必須採用電子支付方式。
Vocabulary Learning
The Architecture of Administrative Precision
To transition from B2 to C2, a student must move beyond 'correct' English and enter the realm of register-specific precision. This text is a prime specimen of Bureaucratic Formalism—a dialect of English used in high-level governance to minimize ambiguity while maximizing perceived authority.
◈ The Lexical Pivot: Nominalization as Power
Observe how the text avoids simple verbs in favor of complex noun phrases. This is the hallmark of C2 academic and legal writing.
- B2 approach: The government is starting to use electronic payments because of an order.
- C2 approach: The current transition is predicated upon Executive Order 14247, promulgated in March 2025...
Analysis: The word promulgated is not merely a synonym for 'announced.' In a C2 context, it specifically denotes the formal proclamation of a new law. By using predicated upon (instead of 'based on'), the writer establishes a logical dependency that is mathematically precise.
◈ Semantic Nuance: The 'Vulnerability' Spectrum
Notice the deployment of the term "systemic vulnerabilities." At B2, a student might say "problems with the system." At C2, we differentiate between a flaw (a mistake) and a vulnerability (a weakness that can be exploited). This shift in vocabulary transforms the tone from a complaint to a professional risk assessment.
◈ Syntactic Density and the 'Abstract Default'
Consider the phrase: "...mitigate the systemic vulnerabilities associated with physical currency instruments."
Linguistic Breakdown:
- Mitigate: (High-tier verb) To make less severe.
- Systemic: (Adjective) Affecting the entire system, not just one part.
- Physical currency instruments: (Abstract noun phrase) A C2-level euphemism for "paper checks."
By renaming a "check" as a "currency instrument," the author strips the object of its mundane quality and re-categorizes it as a technical asset. This is the essence of professional distancing, a critical skill for C2 mastery in corporate or diplomatic environments.
◈ The Logic of Concession
The final paragraph utilizes a Framework for Exemptions. The transition from a rigid mandate ("mandates that federal agencies... migrate") to a flexible allowance ("waivers may be granted") demonstrates the ability to manage conflicting constraints within a single discourse—a cognitive linguistic leap required for the highest certification levels.