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)
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Tammy b.
When will we get are stimulus checks to us that are on ssi and ssdi are we going to be left out can we get a date if when we will get it please!!!
Sandy C.
Commissioner Saul,
I get a Social Security check direct deposited every month into my same checking account for years. I also get a 1099 every year. The same thing that a tremendous amount of other Senior Citizens have done every month & get a 1099 every year. You even say in your letter “justifying” why the Stimulus checks have not gone out to to any of the people you call “the most vulnerable” who don’t receive 1099s.
Why haven’t all the recipients who receive monthly direct deposited Social Security checks & 1099 not received their Stimulus checks?
J.R.Burgs
More of the same BS. They cover for 1 another all the time. When we have a date we will post it on our website. What are talking about? Your systems a failure I can’t get no-more than a “Status Not Available ” is this a way of punishing people? Is your mother on benefits like we are? How can you feel pride in what you do when you letting over 30,000.00 down and obviously have no remorse cuz if you did by now we would off been getting atleast a pending but of course not, we still getting up everyday praying that we check the Get my payment and find some information or that we check our bank account and find a deposit. Yet you’ve got the oddasity to tell us that who ever don’t get their payment can claim it next year, what if I die before next year, my bills are due now not next year, iam hungry now, not next year or iam getting evicted at the end of the month not next year!!!! So sad and pathetic. Learn how to do your job….
E. R.
I just don’t get how this was all to help the most needy SMH well HELLO… WE ARE!!! I can bet anything that my monthly check doesn’t even cover the expense of the shoes you people wear but our cruel reality is that WE HAVE TO LIVE A WHOLE MONTH OFF THIS LITTLE MONEY AND MAKE IT LAST. And yet the IRS STILL can’t give us @ least a deposit date? WOW, How heartless are you people. I didnt even get my 2nd one and its been almost 21 days since I claimed it and still shows as it was accepted by IRS but thats it. You ppl would pay somebody that works and who is getting 6 or 7thousand $ before you would pay the most needy? What kind of help again is this? Didn’t any of us ask for COVID19 ,NOW I CAN’T SAY THE SAME ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COIN!!! FIGURE OF SPEECH…. Sincerely, ANOTHER SCREWED SSDI RECEPIENT…
Sandy C.
Commissioner Saul, I don’t understand why you haven’t supplied IRS with the 1099 recipients information in a more timely for the 2021, $1,400 Stimulus Check since you experienced the same problem in 2020. All the information is readily available considering you send Social Security checks to us every month. The information is up-to-date. Plus you send 1099 forms to all of us.
I’m a Senior Citizen, my Social Security income is so low that I’m designated as living at the poverty level. I find it hard to believe you don’t remember this same problem happened with the $1,200 Stimulus check. All I know that Stimulus check will be a blessing when I have to decide if I’m going to be able to buy nutritional food or a starch diet.
Hopefully you are one of the positions that President Biden is able to replace because you definitely have the Trump philosophy.
Jan T.
As of March 29, 2021
STILL NO $1400 STIMULUS PAYMENT!
SSDI DESERVE PROMPT PAYMENT!
SHAME ON COMMISSIONER SAUL!
Jody P.
You are full of bs..
You’re lying.
Ron
All my Friends here who have gotten shafted on stimulus by the Trump cronies can call the white house at 202 456 1414! Let’s let Joe know!
Larry
Another trumpie appointee screwing 30 million Americans to try to make the Biden administration look bad. This whiney clown has got to go.
Darlene F.
I’m retired on regular Social Security and mine is direct deposit and I still have not received my EIP stimulus payment.