Stimulus update: When will Social Security, VA benefit recipients get a check?

On Wednesday, the Internal Revenue Service announced that it had sent COVID-19 relief checks to the bank accounts of 90 million Americans.

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If you did not get a payment on Wednesday, don’t worry. There are still millions of checks to be sent out.

Among those millions are checks to be sent are those who receive Social Security retirement, survival and disability checks; Supplemental Security Income checks; Railroad Retirement checks and Veterans Affairs benefits.

Here is what we know now about those checks.

Will you get a stimulus check if you get Social Security, VA, SSI, or Railroad Retirement benefits?

Yes, you will get a check. You will get a $1,400 stimulus check if you fall within these eligibility categories:

• You are an individual who earns less than $75,000 a year;
• You and your spouse file tax returns jointly and earn up to $150,000 a year;
• You file your taxes under head of household status and earn up to $112,500 a year.

What do you have to do to get the check if you get Social Security, VA or Railroad Retirement benefits?

If you receive one of those federal benefits, you do not have to do anything to get a stimulus check.

According to the IRS, the agency “will automatically send EIP3 (the third stimulus payment) to people who didn’t file a return but receive Social Security retirement, survivor or disability benefits (SSDI), Railroad Retirement benefits, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Veterans Affairs benefits.”

How is the third stimulus payment different from the first two?

The payment is larger. It is $1,400 per person, compared to $1,200 for the first payment and $600 for the second. The third round of payments now includes a $1,400 payment to dependents of all ages.

How will the money be delivered?

The payment will be sent to you in the same way you receive your monthly Social Security, Railroad Retirement or VA payment.

When will you get the check?

If you did not receive a payment this week, don’t worry, it will be coming soon.

“Additional batches of payments will be sent in the coming weeks by direct deposit and through the mail as a check or debit card,” according to an update from the IRS concerning the stimulus checks. “The vast majority of these payments will be by direct deposit.”

An exact payment date for Social Security and other federal beneficiaries “will be announced shortly,” according to the IRS.

How can I check on the status of my payment?

You can go to the “Get My Payment” tool on the IRS website. However, if you receive a regular payment from the federal government, such as Social Security, your status may not be available yet.

You may get a “Payment Status Not Available” message when you use the “Get My Payment” tool. That does not mean you are not getting a direct payment, but that the agency has not yet processed your payment.

Here is how to use the “Get My Payment” tool:

Click here to go to “Get My Payment.”

Provide your Social Security number, birth date and address, then click on the blue bar at the bottom that says “continue.”

Get My Payment will then give you an update on the status of your check.

Cox Media Group