Commissioner Statement on Economic Impact Payments
Reading Time: 3 MinutesLast Updated: March 25, 2021
I want to provide an important update about the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) processing of Economic Impact Payments (EIPs) under the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act.
At each turn over the last 12 months, immediate delivery of EIPs has been, and remains, a top priority for this agency. SSA’s public service mission is squarely focused on many of those who are most economically-vulnerable in our society and we owe it to our beneficiaries to ensure they receive their EIPs right away. In fact, it was the substantial efforts of SSA that successfully overcame the fact that the IRS did not have a mechanism to automatically identify Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients, some of the most financially insecure people in America. It was SSA that pushed the prior Administration and Congress to allow us to send to IRS a file of those individuals, who do not receive forms SSA-1099, so that IRS could automatically issue EIPs to them.
Since the time that discussions began regarding issuance of EIPs in the ARP Act, weeks before passage, we have worked tirelessly with our counterparts at IRS to provide to them the information they need to issue payments to our beneficiaries. Despite the fact that Congress did not directly provide SSA funding to support our work on EIPs, we have provided countless hours of assistance to IRS consistent with the laws that establish how we may use the Trust Funds that every American counts on us to protect.
SSA discussed with Treasury and IRS, both before passage and after enactment of the ARP Act, that the Social Security Act does not allow the agency to use our administrative appropriation to conduct work on any non-mission provision or program. Accordingly, we were not authorized to substantively engage Treasury or IRS prior to the ARP’s passage. Instead, upon passage, we were required to pursue a reimbursable agreement with IRS because we received no direct appropriation through the ARP Act. From the outset of discussions, we kept congressional staff apprised of the hurdles this approach would create for SSA, and we have continued to update them on our progress with IRS as we completed the required interagency agreements.
Once we were free to move forward, we aggressively worked with Treasury and IRS to issue payments. As a result of our efforts, we successfully signed the reimbursable agreement and a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) less than one week after passage, on March 17. That process often takes weeks or months to complete, but we got the job done in a matter of days. A few days later, on Monday, March 22, SSA sent initial test files to IRS. IRS confirmed testing success on Wednesday, March 24. Production files were delivered to IRS before 9 AM on Thursday, March 25 – more than a week sooner than we were able to provide a similar file to IRS during the first round of EIPs.
While we were working through the agreements with IRS that would fund our efforts to support issuance of EIPs, we were also protecting the integrity of the EIP program by updating the files that IRS will use to issue payments to our beneficiaries. Those updates to our files ensure that payments go to correct bank accounts and addresses, and, that those who are deceased are removed from the files. In short, Social Security employees have literally worked day and night with IRS staff to ensure that the electronic files of Social Security and SSI recipients are complete, accurate, and ready to be used to issue payments. There is no one more committed to serving the public than the employees of this agency, and there should be no doubt whatsoever that they are striving each day to serve the vulnerable populations to whom they have committed their careers. I find any insinuation to the contrary to be unacceptable.
I assure you that we will continue to do all we can to support implementation of the ARP Act.
Did you find this Information helpful?
Tags: American Rescue Plan, Commissioner, Economic Impact Payments, social security, SSI
See CommentsAbout the Author
Andrew Saul, Commissioner, Social Security Administration
Commissioner of Social Security Administration (June 17, 2019 - July 9, 2021)
Comments
Comments are closed.
Glenda S.
Ok me and my son are both on SSI and we are both disable and we were claim as a dependent on someone taxes in 2019 so we have not received anything why can’t we get the stemules check we need help just like everyone else please help
Regina P.
I feel as though people, such as myself and all those on disability, SSI, SS and the VETs that have served this country should be considered the first people to receive their stimulus checks because we only get one check a month to live off of! We have direct deposit, most of us do that is and there be no question as to who gets their money first! We need it desperately for food and bills, not extravagant things! Please help us!
Rose R.
Still waiting. 3/26
Brenda C.
Still waiting on 3rd payment….with 3 children. Receive benefits from ssa and irs has direct deposit info, but still waiting. Frustrating!
TruthCannon
Democrats demanded to know why SSA hasn’t sent files to IRS even though the IRS asked for them 2 weeks before rescue act was signed.
They issued an ultimatum and they complied
Meanwhile beforehand
They just decided not to send them or tell anyone.
And so here we sat like everyone else waiting for our check to come and they knew damn well they weren’t going to come because they didn’t send the file yet
And they kept running us around with excuses..
I think he did it to make Biden look bad because he’s a Trump holdover
I can’t tell you how many comments I’ve seen saying Trump sent it out on time how come Biden couldn’t… And meanwhile it was a trump official screwing us over the whole time.
Kristy
Thank you for working so diligently to insure that this third stimulus check gets to the parties who qualify. I commend you for your efforts. I have not received my stimulus check but I am willing to patiently wait until things can happen that need to happen.
Bikk
Fuck u troll implant
Glenn G.
Is the problem limited to non-filers? I know people, who file taxes yearly, that have received the stimulus check already. I am a little concerned because I received my first two stimulus checks quickly, in fact, faster than others around me. Has the Biden Administration changed the rules? Anyway, thanks to all your employees for their hard work year-round.
Veronica f.
Also would like to know a date for all of us on ssa ssdi railroad and va can exspect our payments direct exspress still nothing pending
Bernaldo G.
The first two stimulus payments went without a hitch, thus the IRS had the info on hand. Why the IRS did not rely on that info?
The big question now is when can we expect to receive the $1400.
Norma F.
My husband and I are both disabled. We received the 1st Stimulous check, but never received the 2nd, and still have not received the 3rd! (March 26, 2021)
Neither does the IRS.GOV …GET MY PAYMENT ever have any info on our payments.
How are they “picking & choosing” who gets their payments?
On a limited income, how can we afford to prepare for what is coming? Its fearful, degrading, and leaves us hanging in a lurch of indecision and worry. What’s going on?