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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Jacqueline B.
I find it strange that there were no issues with receiving the first and second stimulus, but as soon as Biden takes office there would appear to be this disconnect with the IRS and SSI. WHY???
Why play games with the most vulnerable??
Callen R.
I am sorry that you feel you feel you have been unacceptably targeted for the delay in EIPs for the disabled. So now that that’s out of the way… WHERE IS OUR THIRD STIMULUS PAYMENT. You’ve had plenty of time and I think you should be held completely responsible for this fiasco. SEND THE INFORMATION NOW. WE ARE DESPERATE.
Gay
No stimulus here either I got the first 2 under Trump!
Brenda K.
Yes I’m is a 74 year old retired female that had very big plans tonight with this $1,400 that I believe you are just blowing smoke and making excuses in December you produce the check 2 weeks bill was signed and money was in our account makes no senseOK said 2 weeks prior to this past bill being signed information was requested to get everything in line for checks to go out with everyone else okay that makes sense ball got dropped didn’t get put turned in if you could get a hundred and thirty million checks ready to go in two weeks why can you not get 30 million ready to go in a week makes no sense are personal feelings out here where we vote at in a lecture hall or used to we found out this go round we don’t do that anymore is y’all were just in a peeing contest with Republicans and Democrats or Trump and Biden and the only ones that suffering for it is the poor people of America does not matter what color their skin is although the government is trying to start a race war that nobody in America wants really think that is being held just for the interested that much money withdrawal in one day I’m asking how much money it draws in a week anyone read this blog I encourage you to really think about the things I’ve said and what we really need to do to take back this country with our leaders think about it they already telling us our children won’t be able to get their social security that they work and paid in this whole system is a racket I believe I know it’s a great country but there’s a whole lot of bureaucratic whole red crap take that we have to take the be as free as we are if most of the people abroad new everything that we went through to be so-called free they would realize we are not really free we might be free or then some people might have a little more than son bu feet we are not slowly losing everything that supports work for and although wars
kathleen G.
Busted! You are hereby sentenced to anal swabs!
Brenda
This is so wrong in so many ways. It cannot be that difficult to do your job. Tell us when we are going to get our stimulus money. I am tired of hearing the same information. Quit dinking around and do your job.
Levina
Thank you for treating us like dog sh.t on the bottom of your boot, that cost way more than any 1400.00 one time payment.
Lana R.
Mr Saul.Thank you for your response.Im sure this is pressure on all of us.After 3 of our house hold received 1200 on Direct Express.This came as of 2-3 weeks after anyone else different ways. The 600 next stimulus. Again got there’s in Dec 2020.??.AND THE THREE IN MY HOUSEHOLD,DID NOT RECEIVE THE 600 TILL JAN 2021.ON DIRECT EXPRESS CARD.PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS ,THIS IS SOME. KIND OF THE SAME PATTERN BUT WORSE.
Kelly B.
ASSHOLES
GIVE US OUR FUCKING MONEY
CUNTS
CRAIG T.
WE HAVE BEEN WAITING PATIENTLY FOR 3 WEEKS FOR OUR STIMULUS CHECK MY SIGNIFICANT OTHER OUR SON MYSELF AND MY MOTHER WHO WAS RECENTLY HOSPITALIZED FOR 48 HOURS IS RESPONSIBLE FOR 85% OF HER STAY AMONGST IN 2020 MY FATHER PASSED ON AND MY GIRLFRIENDS MOTHER PASSED AND WE HAVE ENCOUNTERED COUNTLESS BILLS RELATED TO THAT AS WELL AS THE INCREASING COST OF FOOD AND OTHER NECESSITIES AND SEVERAL REDUCTIONS IN INCOME LESS MONEY MORE BILLS AND ALL 4 US HAVE PHYSICAL & EMOTIONAL HEALTH CONDITIONS AND THIS COVID HAS DRUG ALL OF US DOWN SO FAR FINANCIALLY AND ALL SSA CAN SAY IS YOU HAVE DONE YOUR PART . FAR FROM IT . THE SSA HAS NOT CONSIDERED THE WELL BEING OF THE LESS FORTUNATE . EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE BEEN GIVEN EQUAL AND FAIR TREATMENT AND IT SEEMS BECAUSE OF THIS CHAIN OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS MILLIONS OF PEOPLE ARE STRUGGLING TO PAY BILLS PUT FOOD ON THE TABLE AND MAINTAIN A GOOD QUALITY OF LIFE AND THE STRESS & ANXIETY CAUSED BY THIS NEGLIGENCE IS NOT TOLERABLE AND SHOULD HAVE NEVER HAPPENED. WHEN PEOPLE GET SICK ILL OR DIE BECAUSE OF SITUATIONS LIKE THIS BECAUSE OF THIS HOW CAN YOU JUSTIFY AS A ENTITY WHAT THIS IS DOING TO SOCIETY. YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED PEOPLE ARE STRUGGLING TO BARELY GET BY AND YOU SAY YOU HAVE COMPLIED WITH THE ARP THEN WHY DID THIS HAPPEN THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR THIS. I PRAY FOR ALL THE PEOPLE SUFFERING THAT CANNOT PAY THEIR RENT MORTGAGE PAYMENTS AND UTILITIES AND KEEP THEIR MEDICAL BILLS PAID AND TO BE ABLE NOT HAVE TO WORRY ENDLESSLY FROM DAY TO DAY.