Checks Delayed Due to Social Security Administration and IRS Communication Glitch
After several special needs organizations launched a successful advocacy campaign to secure stimulus relief payments for individuals who receive Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits, disbursement of these $1400 checks from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has been delayed. The hold up appears to be caused by the Social Security Administration’s inability to provide vital tax return information about their beneficiaries to the IRS in a timely manner. The payment delay caught congressional attention, especially considering that 127 million Americans have already received stimulus payments. A group of lawmakers who sit on the House Ways and Means Committee pressured Social Security officials to rectify this situation as soon as possible. The committee members reported that these delays have left almost 30 million Social Security and SSI beneficiaries waiting to receive payments which “defied congressional intent and imposed needless anxiety and pain on taxpayers.” Social Security Commissioner Adrew Saul attributes the delay to funding issues and believes that his agency has done everything in their power to get the needed files to the IRS. When the IRS receives the Social Security Administration information, these stimulus funds will be released. According to the IRS, most payments will occur automatically and will be distributed in the same way beneficiaries receive their regular benefits. For more information on when these payments will be made available, go to IRS.gov.
