The IRS has posted new instructions for Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Beneficiaries who have children and want to get the full amount in their stimulus checks.
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.
By taking proactive steps to enter information on the IRS website 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, they will have to wait to receive their $500 per qualifying child.
The same new guidance also applies to SSI recipients, especially those who have qualifying children under age 17.
For SSI recipients who do not have qualifying children under age 17, the Social Security Administration says they continue to work closely with Treasury in efforts to make these payments automatically.
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’s Non-Filers website to enter their information.
Social Security retirement, survivors, or disability beneficiaries who do not have qualifying children under age 17, do not need to take any action with the IRS. You will automatically receive your $1,200 economic impact payment directly from the IRS as long as you received an SSA-1099 for 2019.
