Social Security recipients to get checks under coronavirus stimulus bill. Here’s how
Millions of Americans are about to receive stimulus checks from the government — including recipients of Social Security.
Adults who earn less than $75,000 a year will receive $1,200 under the $2 trillion coronavirus relief package Congress has crafted to help ease an economic downturn caused by the spread of COVID-19. An additional $500 will be paid out for dependents.
Retirees who get Social Security payments will also get the money. So will recipients of Supplemental Security Income (SSI), a federal program for disabled or blind residents and those who have little or no income, according to the Senate Finance Committee.
In 2019, 64 million Americans received Social Security payments, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. About 8 million received SSI benefits.
Social Security recipients typically don’t file tax returns. But “as long as they received an SSA-1099 form (the Social Security benefit statement), the federal government will be able to send them a payment via the usual way they get their Social Security payment,” according to the Washington Post.
Without a tax return, “those on Social Security and SSI Disability can use their Social Security Administration data to make their claim,” according to WLOS.
The IRS confirmed that in an updated set of guidelines on Wednesday.
Sen. Ben Cardin of Maryland clarified that anyone receiving SSI who files taxes will be eligible for a stimulus check, KREM reported. He said if someone else claims them on their taxes, that person will get an additional $500 allotted for dependents under the bill.
This story was originally published March 27, 2020 at 12:43 PM with the headline "Social Security recipients to get checks under coronavirus stimulus bill. Here’s how."
