Andrew Saul, the U.S. social security commissioner, launched an appeal on Apr. 21 to social security beneficiaries who have dependents, and who do not file tax returns to take action in order to receive an additional payment of $500 per child, in addition to the automatic $1,200 individual payment.

 

“Social Security beneficiaries and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients who don’t file tax returns will start receiving their automatic Economic Impact Payments directly from the Treasury Department soon,” Saul said via a press release. “People receiving benefits who did not file 2018 or 2019 taxes, and have qualifying children under age 17, however, should not wait for their automatic $1,200 individual payment.”

 

Saul urged those impacted to go to the IRS website and visit the Non-Filers: Enter Payment Info Here section as soon as possible, provide their information and receive the full amount of the Economic Impact Payments to which they and their families are entitled.

 

He said social security retirement, survivors, and disability insurance beneficiaries with dependent children, who did not file 2018 or 2019 taxes, need to act by Wednesday, April 22, in order to receive additional payments for their eligible children in a timely manner.

 

Social security and SSI recipients will need to act by a specific deadline later this month. The date will be announced soon. Saul said by taking this proactive step to enter the relevant information on the IRS website about themselves and their qualifying children, social security and SSI recipients will also receive a $500 payment per dependent child in addition to the $1,200 individual payment to which they are entitled.

 

“If beneficiaries in this group do not provide their information to the IRS soon, their payment at this time will be $1,200,” he said. “People would then be required to file a tax year 2020 tax return to obtain the additional $500 per eligible child.”

 

People with direct express debit cards who enter information on the IRS website should complete all of the mandatory questions but may leave the bank account information section blank as the Treasury department already has their direct express information on file.

 

Additionally, any new beneficiaries since January 1, 2020, 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 Non-Filers section of the website to enter their information. Otherwise, they will not receive automatic payments from Treasury.

 

Please also see our previous Norwood News article on this topic here.

The Spanish language version of the press release is available here.

Una versión en español del comunicado de prensa está disponible aquí.