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IRS officials have touted the agency’s delivery of the latest round of stimulus checks as reaching eligible Americans in “record time.” Yet some social security recipients who are in urgent need of financial assistance say they are still awaiting payment for emergency relief.
The problem may sit in the Social Security Administration (SSA), according to a Wednesday letter from the House Ways and Means Committee to the welfare agency. The letter says 30 million Social Security recipients are still waiting for their checks and that the IRS had asked the SSA to send them payment files two weeks before President Joe Biden signed the checks on March 11.
“To date, the SSA has still not provided the IRS with the payment files needed to issue [stimulus checks] to those struggling Americans, ”the letter says. It is signed by Representatives Richard Neal, John Larson, Bill Pascrell and Danny Davis.
Their insistence seems to have paid off. Lawmakers said Thursday they received a notice from the SSA that the agency sent payment data for 30 million Social Security recipients to the IRS that morning. The SSA confirmed the release of the payment information in a separate statement, adding that it had to enter into a “refundable agreement with the IRS because we received no direct appropriation by” the American Rescue Act for a job. which is not directly linked to its programs or mission.
It is not known how long it will now take the IRS to send the payments to the 30 million recipients. The IRS did not immediately return a request for comment.
On Monday morning, some social security recipients said they were still awaiting payments, pointing out that the delay was causing tensions and financial problems. Some said they felt left out because others received their payments within days – while they were still waiting.
Mark Stevens, 65, took note when the IRS announced on March 12 that a payment date for Social Security recipients would be announced “shortly.” The Pensacola, Florida-based retiree expected his stimulus money to arrive quickly given that the second relief payment approved by lawmakers in late December arrived within two days of the law allowing it. No chance.
“For me, ‘shortly’ is two to three days, not two weeks,” Stevens said. “People in my situation feel lied to.”
The IRS did not specify when Social Security recipients and other federal assistance recipients could get their stimulus checks, which amount to $ 1,400 for each eligible adult and dependent. But given that many of them receive their federal payments by direct deposit to their bank account, they are puzzled as to why the tax agency is taking longer to issue checks to them than to others. So far, the IRS has deposited over 90 million payments into people’s accounts or mailed prepaid checks and debit cards.
Lawmakers “alarmed” by the delay
The delay in delivering stimulus payments to Social Security recipients and other recipients of government assistance caught the attention of lawmakers earlier this week. On March 22, members of the House Ways and Means Committee wrote to IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig and Social Security Administration Commissioner Andrew M. Saul to express concern and demand a up to date on the check delivery to these groups by Friday.
They followed up with Wednesday’s letter, demanding “that you immediately provide this information to the IRS by tomorrow, March 25, 2021.”
In the March 22 letter, they noted: “Some of our most vulnerable seniors and people with disabilities, including veterans who have served our country with honor, are unable to afford basic necessities while awaiting their arrears. payment.
The IRS and the Treasury said on Wednesday they had issued 37 million checks in a second round of payments, bringing the total number of payments to 127 million, valued at $ 325 billion. Many of these checks are paper checks or prepaid debit cards that will be mailed to recipients. Some Social Security beneficiaries may be part of this or subsequent payment rounds.
The IRS has prioritized check delivery to people who filed their 2020 or 2019 tax returns, as well as to those who used the “Non-Filers” website the agency operated last year. .
Difficulty getting answers
Part of the frustration Stevens and others feel is the difficulty they report getting information on the IRS ‘Get My Payment’ website. Stevens, who said he had not used the “Non-Filers” website last year, said he received a “Payment status not available” message.
It can mean several things. This may indicate that the tax agency did not process a person’s payment or that people are not eligible for a stimulus payment, the IRS noted.
Among those having trouble is Sydney Chandler of Los Angeles, who helps her disabled cousin keep up with his raise test. So far, she said he had not received it and was getting the same “Payment Status Not Available” response from the IRS website.
“What was infuriating to me and a lot of people was the fact that the IRS already had their direct deposit information,” Chandler said. “You can’t get a response from the IRS or the Social Security administration.”
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