**FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:** Contact: Alvina McHale

September 4, 2008 Financial Management Service

U.S. Department of the Treasury

\(202\) 874-6604

**U.S. Treasury Introducing Direct Express^®^ Debit Card to Social
Security Recipients in Western states**

***In September, nearly two million federal benefit recipients in 12
states will receive information about new check alternative***

+---------+------------------------------------------------------------+
| **      | Nearly two million Social Security recipients in a dozen   |
| WHAT:** | Western 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 September.                               |
|         |                                                            |
|         | 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 Alaska, Arizona, California,        |
|         | Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, |
|         | Washington, and Wyoming.                                   |
|         |                                                            |
|         | 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 ATM 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.               |
+---------+------------------------------------------------------------+
| **SIGN  | Senior citizens, people with disabilities and other Social |
| UP      | Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients |
| Informa | may sign up for the optional card by calling toll-free     |
| tion:** | 1-877-212-9991 or visiting                                 |
|         | [                                                          |
|         | www.USDirectExpress.com](http://www.USDirectExpress.com/). |
+---------+------------------------------------------------------------+
| **KEY   | -   Nearly two million Social Security and Supplemental    |
| Num     |     Security (SSI) recipients in a dozen Western states,   |
| bers:** |     mostly senior citizens and people with disabilities,   |
|         |     will receive information about the new **Direct        |
|         |     Express** card with their monthly checks in September. |
|         |                                                            |
|         | -   About 4 million Social Security and SSI recipients     |
|         |     nationally (approximately 600,000 in the Western       |
|         |     states) do not have bank accounts and, until now, have |
|         |     had to rely on paper check payments.                   |
|         |                                                            |
|         | -   About 10.3 million senior citizens, people with        |
|         |     disabilities and others still rely on paper checks for |
|         |     their Social Security and SSI 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   |
| *Direct |     risk of lost or stolen checks, giving people access to |
| Ex      |     their money without the need to carry large amounts of |
| press** |     cash. The cards are PIN-protected and funds are        |
|         |     FDIC-insured.                                          |
| **Card  |                                                            |
| F       | ```{=html}                                                 |
| acts:** | <!-- -->                                                   |
|         | ```                                                        |
|         | -   **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 and get |
|         |     cash back at no cost wherever Debit MasterCard^®^ is   |
|         |     accepted. The **Direct Express** card can also be used |
|         |     to pay bills over the phone and internet and to get    |
|         |     cash at ATMs.                                          |
+---------+------------------------------------------------------------+
| **Radio | **Downloadable radio actualities are available on the      |
| Actuali | Media section of USDirectExpress.com (WAV & MP3            |
| ties:** | Formats).**                                                |
+---------+------------------------------------------------------------+

**\###**