DETROIT – A Michigan couple says their February social security money wasn’t deposited on their Direct Express card. It’s not the first time it’s happened, they said.

In Dec. 2024, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau filed a lawsuit against Comerica Bank, who once operated Direct Express, alleging the program left over 20,000 people without their payment issues properly resolved.

Although the lawsuit was terminated in 2025, the program was transferred to Fifth Third Bank due to similar issues.

Michigan users say there’s real world impact to the practices.

Roy Lee Jones is a double amputee in Sanford.

“$1,284,” Jones said on Sunday about how much money in social security he’s received since the nineties.

On Feb. 2, something changed.

“He just found out on the 2nd that he could not access his account,” Heather Swearingen, Jones’ girlfriend, said.

His Direct Express card was not loaded and the company told him they didn’t have a record of him. His money has been deposited by Direct Express since the early 2000s.

It’s a third party program serving over 3 million Americans who don’t have a bank account.

“So, we called, they said they have to verify him,” Swearingen said.

They sent in the verification again.

It was approved. On the fourth, they say Direct Express said they’d send the money and a new card in two to three business days.

Then Feb. 10 rolled around and there was still no sign of the money.

“I am panicking,” Swearingen said. “Our rent was due on the third. We had no gas to go anywhere to doctor’s appointments.”

They got in touch with someone from Social Security and were told to go open a bank account.

They opened the account and they hope the money is deposited this week.

After Local 4 reached out, Direct Express says they are following up with Jones.

Local 4 took a deeper look and found the issue may not be unique to the couple.

There are several recent complaints on the Better Business Bureau. One woman, who lives in Warren, says she experienced something similar.