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.
John Q.
The usual virtue signalling wrapped around bureaucratic slow walking. Lets hold 30,000,000+ low income seniors / disabled hostage. Why?…its a $$$ opportunity grab for more inter-agency agency slush funding. Its Gov agency business as usual legal extortion.
Darrell R.
It sonds like your on vacation 11 months a year. You only do something when pressured by the millions on SSDI. NO I haven’t received my EIP.
Rhonda w.
I still have not received my stimulus payment I’m disabled and I really need help isn’t there anything you can tell us about an exact timeline,
Teri B.
You were told 2 weeks before the EIP was signed to hand over our information yet you wait 2 weeks after it was signed. You are shady as hell. If you & your cohorts can’t do their jobs there are plenty of people who can!
Melissa H.
I got question because i haven’t received my third check and the people on ssi well they get one or well they have to wait when they received there monthly check to get one similar check
John S.
I am 60yrs old with a great deal of health problems and don’t need all this extra stress from worrying if I’m going to be evicted or have my lights or gas turned off because of not having the funds to pay every bill and rent on time.I get very little money from social security as it is $800 which isn’t very much and I’m lucky if I have $20 left a month to get the little things I need soap toothpaste etc so if you really do care then put pressure on IRS and Treasury and have our $1400 deposited in our accounts right away cause it seems like IRS sends out there money on wednesdays 3/17 3/24″where both weds and that’s when certain people go there direct deposits BUT not social security people
bill m.
Bucks stops here, now that can be from the very top in the oval office, or trickle down…seems to me everyone picks you …neverless… all the double talk from you, and every politician trying to make themselves look like saints….we are hurting. We hurt before the stimulas was signed, we hurt right now. Give us an exact date we can look towards because I stopped looking at my account 5 times a day hoping I could pay bills…I unplugged most of everything at home, next is my fridge. Almost ready to sell the car.
jan n.
my son paul is pissed
cock
el quino ben de ho
Sharmane M.
Unfortunately Andrew Saul will not be performing is duty in timely manner… for unprecedented circumstances… You ain’t there….????