How checks will affect Social Security

Published 3:06 pm Wednesday, April 8, 2020

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The Department of the Treasury announced April 1 that Social Security beneficiaries who are not typically required to file tax returns will not need to file an abbreviated tax return to receive an economic impact payment, according to a press release. The IRS will use the information on the Form SSA-1099 to generate $1,200 economic impact payments to Social Security beneficiaries who did not file tax returns in 2018 or 2019.

Treasury, not Social Security, will make automatic payments to Social Security beneficiaries. Beneficiaries will receive these payments by direct deposit or by paper check, just as they would normally receive their Social Security benefits.

For updates from the IRS, visit www.irs.gov/coronavirus.

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Social Security is working closely with the Treasury to address outstanding questions about SSI recipients in an attempt to make the issuance of economic impact payments as quick and efficient as possible, according to the release, and it realizes people are concerned, and the IRS will provide additional information at www.irs.gov/coronavirus when available Economic impact payments will not be considered as income for SSI recipients, and the payments are excluded from resources for 12 months.

The department will continue to update Social Security’s COVID-19 web page at www.socialsecurity.gov/coronavirus/ as further details become available.