Gov’t benefits get digitized

This final note today, from the Marketplace Desk of, well, I guess you gotta draw the line somewhere. The Treasury Department issued new rules today on government benefit payments. As of March 1st, 2013, all those payments — things like Social Security and veterans’ benefits — will be paperless. Direct Deposit or debit card only.

Treasury says it’ll save a billion dollars a year on printing and postage. There are some exceptions — one of which is for people over 90 and might not get the new technology. They can keep getting plain old checks. But people who’re 88, 89? Gotta adapt.