As part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, people with children under 17 years of age were allotted $500 for each child as part of their economic impact payment. Many people received their proper payments automatically—but for some who receive federal benefits, they may need to take action.
People who received Social Security, SSI, RRB or VA benefits have until September 30 to use the non-filers tool on the Internal Revenue Service’s website to provide information about their child. If information isn’t entered by the deadline, people will have to wait until 2021 to claim it as a credit on their income tax return.
“Given the extremely high demand for EIP assistance, we have continued to prioritize and increase resource allocations to eligible individuals, including those who may be waiting on some portion of their payment,” IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig said in a statement. “To help with this, we are allocating additional IRS resources to ensure eligible recipients receive their full payments during this challenging time.”
Newsweek reached out to the IRS for comment, but did not receive a response in time for publication.
Congress passed the CARES Act with unanimous support from both chambers, but the unity seen on Capitol Hill in March hasn’t been present with passing another round of stimulus. A second round of stimulus checks has bipartisan support—as well as the backing of President Donald Trump—but it’s failed to come to pass because the two sides of the political aisle can’t see eye-to-eye on other provisions of a larger relief package.
In an attempt to break the stalemate, the Problem Solvers Caucus, a bipartisan group of lawmakers, put forth a plan that combined items Republicans and Democrats wanted. As part of their “March to Common Ground” framework, the legislators would issue a second round of stimulus checks and left the legislation open to a third round.
If conditions warranted in March, a provision in the bill would automatically activate a third round of payments in line with the amounts afforded under the CARES Act.
White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows considered the two sides putting forth a plan encouraging, but a package has yet to come to a vote on the floor of the House of Representatives.
“Americans deserve a functioning Congress that can rise to the challenge and deliver the relief they need,” Representative Tom Reed, co-chair of the Problem Solvers Caucus, said when unveiling the framework. “We are hopeful this package will help bring lead negotiations back to the table as we try to solve this problem for the American people.”
