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.
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Tags: American Rescue Plan, Commissioner, Economic Impact Payments, social security, SSI
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Andrew Saul, Commissioner, Social Security Administration
Commissioner of Social Security Administration (June 17, 2019 - July 9, 2021)
Comments
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Danielle
Agreed shame on Saul ! And the Irs. And why was this not necessary the last 2 rounds of payments ? The Irs successfully sent them to the same recipients last time without this game ! Something that Trump would do to the most vulnerable! Shame on Biden for not stepping in last week. This is deplorable. They do not have a date? My Ass the money sits where they want it right now doing whatever it is that is their goal . Profit ? Interest?
Lyrics A.
at the bottom of ssa page it says report fraud and waist , i would like to report andrew saul and ssa! low life scum ssa,ssi,ssdi,vets railroad, we have al been railroaded
Althena T.
I’m very upset bc I haven’t received mine either but it seems everyone else is receiving theirs! We are the most vulnerable and financially burdened and unstable in this country yet we are treated the worst and overlooked in every area! We are truly struggling! This is so unfair!
Michelle R.
As of 03/26/2021, I have yet to receive my SSD payment as well. Completely opposite what you are telling everyone. I’m sure Ted Cruz’s distant family members, that qualify, have received theirs!!
Donna L.
When will we get are sttimulus payment tell us the date
Tashina L.
What date its coming now
Mary M.
The second stimulus check that I haven’t received. What can I do to correct this?
Anne B.
Shame on you for not doing your job! You only sent the information to the IRS because it was exposed that you hadn’t done your job… and you now only complied because of the pressure to get it done in 24 hours. You are NOT the hero in this mess that you caused by dragging your feet. Shame on you!
Danielle
Agreed shame on Saul ! And the Irs. And why was this not necessary the last 2 rounds of payments ? The Irs successfully sent them to the same recipients last time without this game ! Something that Trump would do to the most vulnerable! Shame on Biden for not stepping in last week. This is deplorable. They do not have a date? My Ass the money sits where they want it right now doing whatever it is that is their goal . Profit ? Interest?
Danielle
What a joke Saul is ! Just another Trump puppetry ploy !! Lies! And the IRS is no better. You could not have planned for this if it was going to be different than last time? Why did you need anything now and not before! This is blatant BS and could have been avoided! The money is earning them interest
William M.
Mitch Hernandez Saturday morning still no payment
Melissa W.
Does anyone know a time frame when people on SSDI and/or SSI will get their stimulus payments?
Deletha D.
When I fine out about the stimulus check will post to the account please let me know.
Marquita C.
How long do we have to wait ssi Benefits thanks!
liz
They had the info to send😡😡😡 I’ve gotten other stimulus through direct deposit… stop lying
Am
I still have nothing in my bank it is get ridiculous they said the 12 then the 17th 24 or 25 still come on do you only have 1 job to do so do it how does it feel to steal money from people who depending on you all it doesnt seem you all arent working fast enough today is the 27th and still nothing in my bank
Brenda S.
Am on ssd and have direct deposit and still haven’t got my stimulus check of 1400 hundred WHY?
I got my 600 hundred with in a matter of days after the bill was signed
WHAT IS GOING ON WHY THE DELAY?
I NEED THIS MONEY BAD!!!
Rj F.
That’s because the 1200 & 600 stimulus was the trump administration & the 1400 is the Biden administration
Melissa W.
As of 3/26/21 (Friday), I have not yet received my stimulus payment of $1400. I wish they would give an approximate time frame as to when to expect them (ie, a week, a month, etc.
Connie P.
The same here Melissa. We had no problem getting our first 2 stimulus checks, but wondering where this one is?
Vicki
What is going on why you trying to justify this , stop playing around with peoples lives.sad sad
Anonymous
I agree. Being left in the dark like this is absolutely degrading. Disabled and elderly people are still people. We are not less deserving of decency just because we’re disabled or elderly. People who are on social security have never received the respect or help we deserved. Instead we are ignored, overlooked, punished for existing, and even punished for daring to get married. We are discriminated against in so many ways that most people aren’t even aware of.
Linda B.
I havent gotten mine either im on social security i guess they dont think were important i hope to get it soon i need it just like everyone else does
Chelsa T.
Same here! Still waiting for stimulus! I filed Feb 12,2021 and direct deposit!
Am
I still have nothing in my bank it is get ridiculous they said the 12 then the 17th 24 or 25 still come on do you only have 1 job to do so do it how does it feel to steal money from people who depending on you all it doesnt seem you all arent working fast enough
Tom M.
You don’t get to back peddle. We now know our information was simply put, not sent. I would really like to understand where we stand with the SSA.
David k.
Im david collins 19 years old stay with my dad(REV Dolphus Collins the veteran the naacp man fight for civil rights on facebook) at 2752 utah street 39213 jackson ms . i am the one that the state university hospital messed up on which cause me to be disable with one kindey and i have asthma an nerve problems as well. Im under M.D. doctors and nerve doctors for the rest of my life. In 2019 in jackson ms social security cut my check off .the same year 2019 ssa wrote my father saying that :”David k collins didn’t supposed to never been cut off”. Two months later in jackson ms ssa judge cut my check off again and the ssa judge won’t honor what they wrote about my case my self David collins and my father pro-c we appealed my case to fall church Virginia oha on 11/18/2019 . the date when jackson oha turned me down 11/20/2019 . oha fall church Virginia went right along with they mess an on this date 1/4/2020 and this disability federal right fraud violation of my rights DAVID COLLINS MY FATHER DOLPHUS COLLINS
Carol L.
This is BS! We’ve not gotten our IRS refund for 2020 either …and we filed electronically the first week the forms were accepted. You’d better believe the Feds would want THEIR money from us on time.
Husband and I are on SS.
This is not acceptable.
Pam L.
We haven’t got our $1,400 each either.
Christopher J.
i agree fully. ALL of the public information points to this letter from Saul, is bulls**t. And at this point with all of the deception that is being tossed around. I feel strong, and vulgar words are appropriate. In conveying the frustration and Anger with the SSA (based on the information available to me).
The country knows that you lick Trump’s (bum) ass.
He’s a dead issue. move on, he can’t fire you now.
But the American People Can.
I for one would punch you in the throat, until you started telling the truth, not this smokescreen you fell is adequate, to stifle the American People, And our heros in the military services.