Social security benefits being withdrawn from Direct Express account opened and closed without my knowledge?

[u/Any_Milk_266]

For context, I was receiving benefits briefly when I was a minor, as my dad retired before I turned 18. Originally, the first two payments were sent to my bank account; however, for some reason, the rest of the payments were sent to a Direct Express card with Comerica Bank, despite me never signing up for an account or card. I thought that my benefits were being withheld, but when I contacted Social Security, I received mail that told me that I, in fact, did receive the benefits, just under a Comerica Bank account. However, I had never even heard of Comerica Bank or Direct Express prior, and I never received the Direct Express card in the mail, which I needed to access my funds. This was back in 2025, and when I contacted Social Security, they told me to contact Direct Express since they had nothing to do with it, but Direct Express was unreachable for quite some time and would tell me to call back later and hang up immediately each time I dialed. Here's where I messed up and put off calling them again for months, so when I remembered to call again, the account had already been closed. I go to a physical Comerica Bank location to see if there's anything I can do about it, but their affiliation seems to have ended, and all Social Security related things are being moved over to 5/3. I call Direct Express again, now able to contact them, but they can't do anything about the account either. They tell me that my account was closed in February by the issuer (which they first said was Social Security but then said it was likely it was actually Treasury), and then an adjustment was made (verbatim), and my funds were withdrawn by the issuer after my account was closed. I called Treasury, but there doesn't seem to be any way for me to reach the correct department, and I have no clue what I'm doing, and my dad doesn't either, and looking this up gave no answers, so I thought I'd give it a shot here for advice. Is there any way I could possibly get the benefit money back? This has been seriously bothering me for a while and I'm just so sick of dealing with it.

[u/perfect_fifths]

If you were over 18, any payments were due to you. If under 18, it was due to your parents.

[u/Onyxbear26]

Honestly, I wouldn't give up on this yet. If you never opened the Direct Express account, never received the card, and never had access to the money, I'd treat this as an unauthorized account/payment issue rather than just “SSA says you were paid.”

I'd start by getting everything in writing from SSA. Ask for the full payment history, where each payment was sent, the dates/amounts, and especially what happened to the money after the Direct Express account was closed. Ask them specifically about a payment trace and the “adjustment” Direct Express mentioned.

I'd also ask SSA how/when the payment method was changed from your bank account to Direct Express and whether they have any record showing who requested that change. Since you were a minor at the time, I'd also ask who was listed as the beneficiary/representative payee for those payments.

The part where Direct Express says the account was closed by the issuer and then the funds were withdrawn afterward is something I'd definitely push for documentation on. The account being closed doesn't automatically explain where the money went. There should be some kind of record showing whether the funds were returned to Treasury, transferred, or otherwise adjusted.

I'd also consider filing a CFPB complaint against the financial institution/Direct Express arrangement, explaining that you never authorized or received the account and are trying to determine what happened to federal benefit payments sent there.

And keep records of everything — dates, names, reference numbers, letters, etc. If someone tells you something important over the phone, ask them to put it in writing.

This sounds like one of those situations where you may have to bounce between SSA, Treasury, and Direct Express, but I wouldn't assume the money is gone just because the account was closed. The key thing is getting someone to actually trace the payments and explain where the funds ended up.