New guidance is now available about COVID-19 Economic Impact Payments for Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) beneficiaries from Social Security Commissioner Andrew Saul.
“The Treasury Department launched a new web tool allowing quick registration for Economic Impact Payments for eligible individuals who do not normally file a tax return,” Saul said, “and [it] also announced that it would begin making automatic payments.
“However, for some people receiving benefits from the Social Security Administration, specifically those who have dependent children under the age of 17, it is to their advantage to go to this portal to ensure they also get the $500 per dependent Economic Impact Payment.”
Saul also encouraged them to do this as soon as possible, and provided the following details.
He said people who receive Social Security retirement, survivors or disability insurance benefits and who did not file a tax return for 2018 or 2019 and who have qualifying children under age 17 should now go to the IRS’s webpage at www.irs.gov/coronavirus/economic-impact-payments to enter their information instead of waiting for their automatic $1,200 Economic Impact Payment.
He said by taking proactive steps to enter information on the IRS Web site about them and their qualifying children, they will also receive the $500 per dependent child payment in addition to their $1,200 individual payment.
If Social Security beneficiaries in this group do not provide their information to the IRS soon, Saul said they will have to wait to receive their $500 per qualifying child.
He said the same new guidance also applies to SSI recipients, especially those who have qualifying children under age 17.
To receive the full amount of the Economic Impact Payments you and your family are eligible for, he said go to the IRS’s Non-Filers: Enter Payment Info page at www.irs.gov/coronavirus/economic-impact-payments and provide information about yourself and your qualifying children.
Additionally, Saul said that any new beneficiaries since Jan. 1, of either Social Security or SSI benefits, who did not file a tax return for 2018 or 2019, will also need to go to the IRS’s Non-Filers Web site to enter their information.
Lastly, he said for Social Security retirement, survivors, or disability beneficiaries who do not have qualifying children under age 17, you do not need to take any action with the IRS.
He said you will automatically receive your $1,200 economic impact payment directly from the IRS as long as you received an SSA-1099 for 2019.
“For SSI recipients who do not have qualifying children under age 17, we continue to work closely with Treasury in our efforts to make these payments automatically,” Saul said.
“Please note that we will not consider Economic Impact Payments as income for SSI recipients, and the payments are excluded from resources for 12 months.”
The eligibility requirements and other information about the Economic Impact Payments can be found here: www.irs.gov/coronavirus/economic-impact-payment-information-center.
In addition, please continue to visit the IRS at www.irs.gov/coronavirus for the latest information.
“We will continue to update Social Security’s COVID-19 web page at https://protect2.fireeye.com/url?k=7a516b54-26057228-7a515a6b-0cc47adc5fa2-750831d3ef1fdb12&u=http://www.socialsecurity.gov/coronavirus/ as further details become available,” Saul said.
