Social Security Recipients Will Start Getting Stimulus Checks This Week

The IRS is using information from the Social Security Administration to process stimulus payments for people who didn't file a 2018 or 2019 tax return.

(Image credit: ©Noah Clayton)

Good news for seniors and the disabled: Automatic $1,200 stimulus payments for people receiving Social Security retirement, survivors or disability insurance benefits (SSDI), or Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) benefits, are scheduled to begin arriving this week. Unless you filed a tax return for 2018 or 2019, the IRS will use information from the Social Security Administration (or RRB) to generate a payment to you. (Social Security recipients will receive a stimulus check automatically if they did not file a tax return for one of the past two years.) You'll receive the payment by direct deposit, debit card or paper check—whichever way you normally receive your benefits.

For Social Security and RRB beneficiaries who don't normally file a tax return, have a dependent child 16 years old or younger, and registered using the IRS's "Non-Filers: Enter Your Payment Info Here" tool by the April 22 deadline, additional $500 per child payments are scheduled to start arriving this week, too.

If you're a Social Security or RRB benefits recipient with a qualified dependent child, but you didn't register using the non-filers tool by April 22, you'll still receive a $1,200 payment. However, you won't receive the extra $500 per child amount at this time. You can claim the additional amount when you file your 2020 tax return next year, though.

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(Note that you are not eligible to receive a stimulus payment if you can be claimed as a dependent on someone else's tax return.)

["6 Money-Smart Ways to Spend Your Stimulus Check","Is a Second Round of Stimulus Checks for $2,000 Each Month in Our Future?"]

Rocky Mengle

Rocky Mengle was a Senior Tax Editor for Kiplinger from October 2018 to January 2023 with more than 20 years of experience covering federal and state tax developments. Before coming to Kiplinger, Rocky worked for Wolters Kluwer Tax & Accounting, and Kleinrock Publishing, where he provided breaking news and guidance for CPAs, tax attorneys, and other tax professionals. He has also been quoted as an expert by USA Today, Forbes, U.S. News & World Report, Reuters, Accounting Today, and other media outlets. Rocky holds a law degree from the University of Connecticut and a B.A. in History from Salisbury University.