Beneficiaries and recipients that demonstrate dire need may receive an Immediate Payment (IP) or Emergency Advance Payment (EAP). Payments are initiated through the Critical Payment System (CPS) and Modernized Supplemental Security Income Claims System (MSSICS). Inputs completed within these systems are pulled into the Third Party Payment System (TPPS) to issue a payment to the beneficiary or recipient. In the past, these payments were issued through paper check.

Executive Orders (EO)14247 Modernizing Payments To and From America's Bank Account and 14249 Protecting America's Bank Account Against Fraud, Waste, and Abuse issued March 25, 2025, enforce existing regulation that federal payments must be issued via electronic funds transfer (EFT) and should not be issued outside of the Department of the Treasury (Treasury). To bring the agency into compliance, all IPs and EAPs will be paid via the US Debit Card (USDC) instead of a paper check.

The transition of paper checks to electronic payments created a unique need for an alternative electronic payment method to provide IP or EAP payments. The issuance and use of the USDC differs from paper checks. The following list provides some important USDC facts:

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  USDCs are Treasury-sponsored, prepaid debit cards intended for one-time use.

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  No changes were made to the eligibility criteria when determining if a beneficiary or recipient is entitled to an IP or EAP. The monetary limits for IPs and EAPs outlined in policy have not changed.

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  IPs/EAPs will no longer be allowed without first establishing the payment within CPS or MSSICS.

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  All post-issuance issues with a USDC will be handled through USDC customer services (i.e. lost or stolen cards, fraud,). The customer service phone number is 1-800-341-6700.

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  USDCs are used exclusively for IPs and EAPs.

The USDC Inventory Log helps the field office (FO) track the disbursement of USDC cards to beneficiaries and recipients. Please follow the process when utilizing the USDC inventory log:

1. 1. 

   The USDC Inventory Log must be stored together with the USDCs in a safe with a combination lock, an electronic or mechanical keypad, or in a lock-bar cabinet with a combination lock. The template for the required Inventory Log can be accessed on the TPPS website.

2. 2. 

   Upon receipt of the USDCs, management will complete the “Date USDC received in the FO” and “Card Number (Last 4 Digits)” fields and place the log in the locked safe or cabinet.

3. 3. 

   When a cashier accesses the safe to retrieve a debit card, they must enter the “USDC Issued to Recipient” date and sign the log. Management must also sign the log at the time of debit card retrieval.

4. 4. 

   Ensure that the FO Code is completed at the top of the Inventory Log.

For detailed instructions on issuing and voiding USDC payments, refer to the TPPS User Guide.

For USDC payment questions that are not addressed in the TPPS User Guide, for assistance contact the Internal Control Payment Team.

For updates regarding Third Party Payment Accounts, refer to the Administrative Instructions Manual System | FMM 03.05.

The Finance and Management Internal Controls Functional Area will conduct quarterly and yearly reviews to ensure policy and procedures are properly followed (regarding audit inquiries please see AIMS 03.05.17).

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  RS 02801.010 Immediate (IP) Criteria and Process

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  SI 02004.005 Emergency Advance Payments

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  SI 02004.010 Field Office Procedures for Emergency Advance Payments

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  SI 02004.100 Immediate Payments (IPs)

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  SI 02004.130 Field Office Procedures for SSI Immediate Payments