- No one is getting a new stimulus check anytime soon as part of new coronavirus stimulus legislation — but that doesn’t mean new stimulus checks aren’t being sent out anyway.
- Many people around the country are getting stimulus checks, or they will soon, which are basically catch-up payments, involving stimulus money they should have received already.
- That’s why these stimulus checks aren’t “new,” in that they involve money which should have been received earlier this year. Such as the $500 dependent payment many stimulus recipients didn’t receive even though they should have.
The $2.2 trillion CARES Act that Congress passed back at the end of March was a one-of-a-kind piece of federal legislation for several reasons, one of which is that it represented a massive congressional response to the coronavirus pandemic — one that hasn’t been equaled or matched since. Also, it was the biggest such stimulus package in the history of the country, including $1,200 stimulus checks as part of its grab bag of benefits meant to take at least a small part of the financial sting away from people hurt by the economic fallout of the pandemic.
Unfortunately, Congress doesn’t appear likely to pass a badly-needed follow-up to the CARES Act anytime soon, despite getting close and despite leaders in both major parties having acknowledged that something needs to be done. Even so, money that was made possible by the CARES Act is still, believe it or not, trickling out to people around the country. And you may even be entitled to some, as well. In this post, we’ll tell you what you need to know.
Given how expansive the CARES Act was and how fast it was put together, it was perhaps to be expected that some things would slip through the cracks, such as some people not receiving all the money they’re owed in a timely fashion.
Some people, for example, didn’t get the extra $500-per-eligible-child payment included with their check that was meant to cover dependents. If that includes you, there’s good news — you have until September 30 to claim that $500 dependent payment.
The IRS said back in August that it would reopen the registration period for federal beneficiaries who didn’t get their $500 dependent payment with the stimulus check they received. Per the tax agency:
The IRS urges certain federal benefit recipients to use the IRS.gov Non-Filers tool starting August 15 through September 30 to enter information on their qualifying children to receive the supplemental $500 payments … The IRS anticipates the catch-up payments, equal to $500 per eligible child, will be issued by mid-October.
It appears to be a technical glitch on the IRS website (Irs.gov) that prevented many people who used the Non-Filers tool before May 17 from getting their $500-per-child dependent payment included with their stimulus check. In the meantime, check out our previous coverage for more new stimulus check payments that many of you still may be owed.
