Stimulus update: Social Security, SSI recipients should see stimulus checks beginning next week

Those who get benefits from Social Security and have been waiting nearly three weeks for the third COVID-19 relief check to be hitting their bank accounts should see those direct payments beginning next week, the Internal Revenue Service announced Tuesday.

Those who receive monthly benefits from Social Security, Supplemental Security Income, the Railroad Retirement Board, Veterans Affairs and generally do not file tax returns have not seen the $1,400 payments being sent out under the American Rescue Act, which was passed by Congress earlier this month and signed into law by President Joe Biden on March 11.

According to the IRS, the payments have been delayed because the agency was not given the files from the Social Security Administration until last Thursday. The agency stated Tuesday that checks should be showing up in bank accounts on April 7 for those who get Social Security benefits and those who receive Railroad Retirement benefits.

“After receiving data from the Social Security Administration on Thursday, March 25, the IRS began the multi-step process to review, validate, and test tens of millions of records to ensure eligibility and proper calculation of Economic Impact Payments,” according to the IRS website.

“If no additional issues arise, the IRS currently expects to complete that work and to begin processing these payment files at the end of this week. Because the majority of these payments will be disbursed electronically – through direct deposits and payments to existing Direct Express cards – they would be received on the official payment date of April 7,” according to the website.

For those who receive Veterans Affairs benefits, the wait will be a bit longer. According to the IRS, the payments for veterans could be issued by mid-April.

“The IRS continues to review data received for Veterans Affairs (VA) benefit recipients and expects to determine a payment date and provide more details soon,” the agency’s website read.

“Currently, the IRS estimates that Economic Impact Payments for VA beneficiaries who do not regularly file tax returns could be disbursed by mid-April. VA beneficiary payment information will be available in the Get My Payment tool at a future date,” the website read.

While the IRS’s Get My Payment tool allows taxpayers to track their stimulus payments, it will not be updated until this weekend with information for those receiving federal benefits and expecting payments next week.

Cox Media Group