The federal government has been waffling on whether or not Social Security recipients need to have file a tax return in either 2019 or 2018 to receive the one-time stimulus payment and now a final decision has been made requiring Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients to take extra action before they are eligible to receive the payment. This is unfortunate because SSI beneficiaries are low-income elderly and disabled Americans who don’t need another obstacle to receive money they desperately need to survive.
The good news is that Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) beneficiaries and people who receive survivor’s benefits automatically qualify for and will receive the stimulus payment without taking extras steps, but the same can’t be said for SSI beneficiaries.
The IRS has provided information for what they call “non {tax return) filers,” to get their stimulus payment. This includes SSI beneficiaries because most of them do not file tax returns because they are not required to, so the extra steps they need to take to get the stimulus payment seems especially cruel considering Social Security has all their information just like someone on SSDI. Nevertheless, below is the information the IRS is requiring from SSI beneficiaries to receive their payment.
- Full name, current mailing address and an email address
- Date of birth and valid Social Security number
- Bank account number, type and routing number, if you have one
- Identity Protection Personal Identification Number (IP PIN) you received from the IRS earlier this year, if you have one
- Driver’s license or state-issued ID, if you have one
- For each qualifying child: name, Social Security number or Adoption Taxpayer Identification Number and their relationship to you or your spouse
Unfortunately many SSI beneficiaries lack the resources like internet or a computer to enter this information, but it is important that they try to find a friend or family member that can assist them otherwise they may miss out on the payments. To start the processes go to irs.gov and follow the buttons for non filers.
