Stimulus Checks: Social Security Recipients Still Don’t Have Payments, and They’re Speaking Up

Despite the White House and Congress agreeing to a historic $2 trillion stimulus package in late March, many Americans have yet to receive their payments. According to CBS News, there is a great deal of Social Security recipients who have yet to receive their stimulus checks despite the fact that the Social Security Administration said that many of them should have begun to receive them as of mid-April. Additionally, the outlet reported that many individuals have encountered issues with the Internal Revenue Service’s “Get My Payment” tool, meaning they are unsure of when their stimulus checks should be arriving.

CBS News spoke to certain Social Security recipients who have not yet received their stimulus check. The publication noted that they spoke with David Kemp, a 73-year-old retiree from Maryville, Tennessee who has received Social Security benefits for 17 years and even has his direct deposit set up with the IRS. “That they can’t get one check to that same account, which the Social Security Administration already has on record, it just doesn’t make sense to me,” he told CBS News. Kemp also said that he has tried to access “Get My Payment,” but the website tells him that his information doesn’t match with what the IRS on file even though he has typed the same information that his tax returns list.

Kemp reportedly tried to call the IRS directly but was unable to reach a telephone representative. He added that this isn’t a “good system” and that it’s “disheartening” to have to deal with. The Social Security Administration has released a statement regarding these discrepancies which read that they were “providing information to Social Security and SSI beneficiaries based on our working relationship with the IRS.” They added that individuals who do have questions should reach out to the IRS directly as they are the lead agency for these stimulus payments.

For those, like Kemp, who have not yet received their stimulus checks, rest assured that they are on the way. It was recently announced that the IRS would begin to send out pre-paid debit cards to specific individuals who have not yet received their stimulus checks yet. According to CNET, certain Americans who have not shared their banking information with the government will receive these pre-paid debit cards in lieu of a stimulus check. These Economic Impact Payment cards allow purchases, cash from in-network ATMs, and the transfer of funds to your banking account without a fee.