Madeline SchwartzECONOMIC RECOVERY PAYMENTS COMING FOR PEOPLE WHO RECEIVE SOCIAL SECURITY AND SSI BENEFITS
March 28th 2009 15:40
A. By Elizabeth Wertime
Social Security Public Affairs Specialist in Upstate, NY
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, which the President signed into law in February, provides for a one-time payment of $250 to people receiving Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits.
1. SSA has asked that those who believe they were supposed to receive a stimulus payment, and do not, to wait until June 4, 2009 to begin inquiring about their payments, as this will give SSA ample time to ensure all of the payments have gone out properly. SSA can be reached at 1-800-772-1213.
The one-time recovery payments will go out in May 2009 and all payments should be received by the end of May. In April, Social Security will send a letter with additional information to each person who is eligible for the one-time payment. The payments will be sent automatically, meaning no action is required on the part of the person receiving benefits. The economic recovery payments will be made separately from a person's regular monthly payments.
All adults who receive Social Security benefits, including disabled adult children (but not minor children) are eligible for $250 payment. In addition, all persons who receive SSI payments, including minor children, are eligible for the payment. Anyone who receives benefits or who was eligible to receive benefits during any of the three months prior to enactment (November and December of 2008 and January 2009) will receive the one-time payment as long as the address of record is in one of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, or the Northern Mariana Islands.
The payments will be made in the same way that regular monthly payments are made. People with direct deposit will receive their payments electronically. Those who receive paper checks will receive their payments in the mail. People who receive regular payments through the Direct Express debit card will receive their one-time payments through the card.
2. The one-time payment will not count as income for SSI, Medicaid, Medicare Savings Programs, the Medicare Part D low income or "Extra Help" subsidy, HEAP, Food Stamps, and any other federal or state program with federal financing. In addition, it will not count as a resource in the month you receive it or the following nine months. For example, if you receive the one-time payment in May 2009, and don't spend it, and it brings your bank account over the SSI limit ($2000 for a single person), or over the resource limit for Medicaid or another federal program, it will not count as a resource from May 2009 through February 2010. If you still have this money in March 2010, it will count as a resource starting that month and may affect your eligibility for SSI, Medicaid, or the other federally funded programs.
3. Persons NOT eligible to receive the stimulus payments are:
SSI beneficiaries who receive benefits at a reduced rate of $55 (rate in NYS) because they live in a nursing home or hospital
Anyone living outside the United States or territories,
Persons who are not legal residents of the United States (but does not necessarily have to be a PERMANENT resident),
Persons whose benefits have been suspended for making false or misleading statements,
Social Security beneficiaries who are minor children (under 18), though children receiving SSI are eligible. Also Disabled Adult Children receiving Social Security are eligible.
3. The Stimulus Act also provides for workers up to specified income levels to receive a "making work pay" tax credit, scheduled to begin in early April, with a maximum benefit of $400. A person receiving the $250 stimulus payment who is also entitled to the "making work pay" tax credit, will receive both the stimulus payment and the tax credit, however the payment and credits will be reconciled through tax filing to ensure a maximum combined benefit of $400.
4. Certain government retirees will get the $250 in the form of a tax credit, rather than a check. For them, the amount is not counted as income and will not count as a resource for the first three months (rather than the first ten months).
5, Alert clients to possible fraud. If someone calls or e-mails client asking for personal information to process my payment, tell them not to provide your personal information to anyone requesting it to process your payment. If you are unsure about the identity of someone claiming to be a Social Security employee, call 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) to verify the call. You may report suspicious activity involving Social Security programs and operations to the Social Security Fraud Hotline website or call 1-800-269-0271 (TTY 1-866-501-2101).
6. This year, there is no extra stimulus payment available through the income tax system. This is different than last year, when we encouraged clients to file an income tax return in order to get the stimulus payment, even if they normally would not file a tax return. If a client does file a tax return, the $250 will not count as gross income for tax purposes.
SSA has added a page to its website detailing all of the information regarding the stimulus payments at Really Long Link SSA has also developed materials in English and Spanish that will be mailed in April to everyone who will receive these benefits.
Social Security Public Affairs Specialist in Upstate, NY
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, which the President signed into law in February, provides for a one-time payment of $250 to people receiving Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits.
1. SSA has asked that those who believe they were supposed to receive a stimulus payment, and do not, to wait until June 4, 2009 to begin inquiring about their payments, as this will give SSA ample time to ensure all of the payments have gone out properly. SSA can be reached at 1-800-772-1213.
The one-time recovery payments will go out in May 2009 and all payments should be received by the end of May. In April, Social Security will send a letter with additional information to each person who is eligible for the one-time payment. The payments will be sent automatically, meaning no action is required on the part of the person receiving benefits. The economic recovery payments will be made separately from a person's regular monthly payments.
All adults who receive Social Security benefits, including disabled adult children (but not minor children) are eligible for $250 payment. In addition, all persons who receive SSI payments, including minor children, are eligible for the payment. Anyone who receives benefits or who was eligible to receive benefits during any of the three months prior to enactment (November and December of 2008 and January 2009) will receive the one-time payment as long as the address of record is in one of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, or the Northern Mariana Islands.
The payments will be made in the same way that regular monthly payments are made. People with direct deposit will receive their payments electronically. Those who receive paper checks will receive their payments in the mail. People who receive regular payments through the Direct Express debit card will receive their one-time payments through the card.
2. The one-time payment will not count as income for SSI, Medicaid, Medicare Savings Programs, the Medicare Part D low income or "Extra Help" subsidy, HEAP, Food Stamps, and any other federal or state program with federal financing. In addition, it will not count as a resource in the month you receive it or the following nine months. For example, if you receive the one-time payment in May 2009, and don't spend it, and it brings your bank account over the SSI limit ($2000 for a single person), or over the resource limit for Medicaid or another federal program, it will not count as a resource from May 2009 through February 2010. If you still have this money in March 2010, it will count as a resource starting that month and may affect your eligibility for SSI, Medicaid, or the other federally funded programs.
3. Persons NOT eligible to receive the stimulus payments are:
SSI beneficiaries who receive benefits at a reduced rate of $55 (rate in NYS) because they live in a nursing home or hospital
Anyone living outside the United States or territories,
Persons who are not legal residents of the United States (but does not necessarily have to be a PERMANENT resident),
Persons whose benefits have been suspended for making false or misleading statements,
Social Security beneficiaries who are minor children (under 18), though children receiving SSI are eligible. Also Disabled Adult Children receiving Social Security are eligible.
3. The Stimulus Act also provides for workers up to specified income levels to receive a "making work pay" tax credit, scheduled to begin in early April, with a maximum benefit of $400. A person receiving the $250 stimulus payment who is also entitled to the "making work pay" tax credit, will receive both the stimulus payment and the tax credit, however the payment and credits will be reconciled through tax filing to ensure a maximum combined benefit of $400.
4. Certain government retirees will get the $250 in the form of a tax credit, rather than a check. For them, the amount is not counted as income and will not count as a resource for the first three months (rather than the first ten months).
5, Alert clients to possible fraud. If someone calls or e-mails client asking for personal information to process my payment, tell them not to provide your personal information to anyone requesting it to process your payment. If you are unsure about the identity of someone claiming to be a Social Security employee, call 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) to verify the call. You may report suspicious activity involving Social Security programs and operations to the Social Security Fraud Hotline website or call 1-800-269-0271 (TTY 1-866-501-2101).
6. This year, there is no extra stimulus payment available through the income tax system. This is different than last year, when we encouraged clients to file an income tax return in order to get the stimulus payment, even if they normally would not file a tax return. If a client does file a tax return, the $250 will not count as gross income for tax purposes.
SSA has added a page to its website detailing all of the information regarding the stimulus payments at Really Long Link SSA has also developed materials in English and Spanish that will be mailed in April to everyone who will receive these benefits.
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