(Last updated on 4/6/21)
President Joe Biden signed the $1.9 trillion stimulus bill on March 11, 2021. The bill is called the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. Included in the bill is the third round of stimulus payments for $1,400 to eligible Americans. We have created this Stimulus News Today to update you on everything that is happening with the stimulus bill and checks.
See below for the most updated stimulus news today.
Understandably, our readers have lots of questions surrounding the stimulus bill, including:
- Who is eligible?
- What is the income limit?
- Who gets direct deposit, paper check, or stimulus debit cards?
- How do you check your stimulus update with the IRS?
- Is the stimulus check taxable?
- Can the stimulus be garnished by creditors or taken for child support owed?
- When will SSI and SSDI get their stimulus check?
- Do Seniors get a check and when will they be sent?
Stimulus News Today
Here’s the latest update on the stimulus package – Updated on April 6, 2021:
IRS to Send “Plus Up” Payments
If you are missing stimulus money you are owed from the first two stimulus payment due to one of the following reasons:
- Your income was lower in 2020 than in 2019
- You added a new child or dependent to your 2020 tax return
You may qualify for a larger check this time around.
Instead of making you wait till you file next year to claim the missing amount, the IRS is making “plus-up” payments this year.
The IRS is automatically recalculating and then sending these plus-up adjustments, without the need for you to request them in an amended tax return form.
Check on the way for Social Security, SSI & SSDI
According to Fox Business, The Social Security Administration has been working with the IRS to transfer the necessary files so that Social Security, SSI, and SSDI recipients can get their stimulus checks.
Delays of stimulus checks for Social Security and Disability recipients have become a big issue.
This has prompted Democrats in Congress to push the IRS and Social Security to move quickly to get the checks out.
Could there be a Fourth Stimulus Check?
Even though millions have still not received their stimulus checks, there is talk of a 4th round of stimulus checks on the way.
According to Yahoo News and CNET, Democrats in Congress are pushing President Biden to send a fourth check.
This report also backs up the news that the fourth Stimulus Direct Payment is gaining support from Democratic lawmakers in Congress.
Additionally, they are even pushing for a recurring monthly payment to low and middle-income Americans until the pandemic is over.
Read more about the potential for a fourth round of stimulus checks.
9 Reasons You Have not Received a stimulus Check Yet
If you have not yet received your stimulus check, there may be many reasons why:
CNET has documented 9 possible reasons why your check could be delayed.
Here’s a summary of the top 5 reasons:
- Your stimulus check was sent to the wrong bank account
- Probably, you did not sign up for a direct deposit when you filed your 2020 taxes
- The USPS delays have impacted the delivery of your check
- Your payment might’ve been garnished
- You may have fallen victim to a scam
What to do if you haven’t received your third stimulus payment
If you have not yet received your third stimulus check, you can use the IRS Stimulus Check Status Tracker tool to get the status of your stimulus check.
Here’s how to use the IRS Stimulus Check Status Tracker to get the status of your $1,400 stimulus payment and check on the first and second round of stimulus payments.
Step 1 – Visit the Get My Payment Website
The first step in getting the status of your stimulus is to visit the “Get my Payment” portal.
Click here to be taken to the Get My Payment portal.
Once there, click the “Get My Payment” link as shown below
Step 2 – Accept Disclaimer
Next, you will be taken to a page where you will have to accept a disclaimer with terms of use of the “Get My Payment” portal in order to proceed.
To accept the disclaimer, click the “OK” link as shown below.
You cannot proceed without accepting this disclaimer.
Step 3 – Enter your Personal Information
Next, you will be taken to a page, like the one below where you will be asked to provide your personal information in order to retrieve your stimulus payment status.
This includes:
- Social Security Number or Tax ID Number
- Date of Birth
- Street Address
- Zip Code
See the image below for details.
Once you enter the requested information, click the “CONTINUE” link for further instructions.
Step 4 – See your Stimulus Check Status
If you entered the correct information requested, you will be taken to a page like the one below where you will see the status of your stimulus check.
What your Stimulus Status Means
When you use the IRS stimulus tracker, you will get various statuses. Here are the different statuses and what they mean:
Payment Status #1:
The first type of payment status will say the following:
A payment has been processed, a payment date is available and payment is to be sent either by direct deposit or mail.
Note: mail means you may be issued an EIP Card or a check.
The image below shows what this payment status looks like:
Payment Status #2:
The other type of payment status will say the following:
You’re eligible, but a payment has not been processed and a payment date is not yet available.
It will not show the amount of your 2021 Economic Impact Payment.
Payment Status – ‘Payment status not available’
If you are getting “Payment Status Not Available” from the IRS stimulus check tracker – do not be alarmed.
According to the IRS, if you receive that message it can mean one of three things:
You are not eligible for the payment.
The payment has yet to be processed
The IRS doesn’t have enough information to issue the payment to you
Here are the two types of “Payment Status Not Available” statuses you are likely to get:
Payment Status – Not Available -#1
Payment Status Not Available: We haven’t yet processed your payment or you’re not eligible for a payment.
Need More Information: Your payment was returned to the IRS because the Postal Service was unable to deliver it.
If your address has changed the IRS says the easiest way to update is to file your 2020 tax return with your current address, if you haven’t already done so.
Once they receive your current address, they will reissue your payment.
If you get this message, you can use the “Get My Payment” to enter your bank account information for direct deposit.
Payment Status – Not Available # 2
The second “Non Available” status covers the following scenarios:
The IRS cannot locate your records based on the information you entered.
However, it could also mean that the system has locked you out for excessive attempts to provide the information requested.
You can try in a few hours or the next day.
Stimulus News Today Summary?
We hope this post on “Stimulus News Today” was helpful.
If you have further questions about Stimulus Checks, Social Security, or Disability benefits, please let us know in the comments section below.
Be sure to check out our other articles on:
Social Security Online Login Help
Third Stimulus Check FAQs
When will Social Security get the Third Stimulus?
What is the Third Stimulus Check Release Date?
Direct Express Stimulus Check Deposit Date
Stimulus Debit Card FAQs
How to Check Stimulus Debit Card Balance