Bipartisan Senators Push for Social Security & Railroad Retirement Beneficiaries Who Missed Deadline to Still Receive Additional $500 Stimulus Payment Per Eligible Child This Year
Washington, D.C. – A bipartisan group of Senators urged the Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to explore options for allowing non-filing Social Security and Railroad Retirement beneficiaries with dependents who missed the April 22 deadline to still receive the additional $500 per qualified dependent this year. The letter also asked that consideration be given to other federal beneficiaries who may be affected by a future deadline, such as Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients and veterans receiving disability compensation and other benefits from Veterans Affairs (VA). The letter was signed by U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME), Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Bill Cassidy (D-LA), and Michael Bennet (D-CO).
On April 20, Treasury and IRS announced that any Social Security beneficiaries, including individuals receiving Social Security Disability Insurance, and Railroad Retirement beneficiaries who have not completed a 2018 or 2019 tax return and have qualifying children under age 17 would need to use the IRS online tool for non-filers to claim the additional $500 per child payment by April 22. According to the guidance, if a beneficiary missed this deadline, they will have to wait until next year to receive the additional dependent payments. Such individuals will still automatically receive their $1,200 coronavirus “economic impact payment” later this month. The deadline for SSI and VA recipients is still to be determined, but the IRS also encourages these individuals to complete the online non-filer form as soon as possible.
“Given the short timeline and limited outreach, we ask you to explore all available options for allowing non-filing Social Security and Railroad Retirement beneficiaries with dependents who missed the April 22nddeadline to receive the additional $500 per qualified dependent without having to wait until next year,” the Senators wrote. “We also urge you to work with stakeholders to engage in immediate, targeted outreach to those federal benefit recipients with dependents who have not filed a 2018 or 2019 tax return and ask that you consider options for a non-web-based alternative to the online non-filer portal.”
Individuals who receive Social Security, Railroad Retirement, SSI, or VA benefits and do not have qualifying children under age 17 do not need to take any action to receive their $1,200 rebate checks.
Senators Collins and Sinema led a bipartisan letter pushing for SSI recipients and veterans who receive disability compensation and other VA benefits to receive a stimulus payment without having to file a tax return.
Click HERE to read the full letter.
