Stimulus Check Update: Social Security Recipients Left Waiting Could Receive Relief Payments Soon
(CBS Detroit) -- The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) prioritized sending stimulus checks to those with current information in their system, meaning those who filed their taxes for 2019 or 2020 or used the non-filers tool when it was available last year. That group includes many recipients of Social Security. However, some Social Security recipients who don't file taxes have experienced delays. The IRS announced today that their payments could start being issued this weekend. According to the Agency, most will be sent electronically and should arrive by April 7.
Members of the House Ways and Means Committee estimated that about 30 million Social Security recipients were still awaiting a stimulus check as of last week. According to their letter to the heads of the IRS and the Social Security Administration (SSA), "Over the past year, the IRS and SSA have worked closely together to ensure that the previous rounds of direct payments were paid promptly and automatically to these beneficiaries, even if they do not normally have a tax return filing requirement because they fall below the income threshold for filing."
But as the Committee sees it, that cooperation has fallen short this time around. "Some of our most vulnerable seniors and persons with disabilities, including veterans who served our country with honor, are unable to pay for basic necessities while they wait for their overdue payments."
The Committee urged the agencies to fix the matter right away. The SSA confirmed last Thursday that the necessary payment data had been sent to the IRS. Sending stimulus checks to those 30 million Social Security recipients is now up to the IRS. The Agency has since said "we anticipate proceeding to make the payment soon."
Actually making those payments first requires reviewing, validating and testing millions and millions of records to confirm eligibility and calculate the amount. Once everything checks out, the IRS can begin processing. Most of the stimulus payments to these Social Security recipients will be delivered electronically. The majority of these recipients will not have to take any additional action to receive their payments.
"IRS employees are working tirelessly to once again deliver Economic Impact Payments to the nation's taxpayers as quickly as possible," IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig said in a press release. "We know how important these payments are, and we are doing everything we can to make these payments as fast as possible to these important individuals."
The 'Get My Payment' tool will not reflect this updated payment information until this weekend.