March 24, 2009 Your $250 check and the ones for
about 55 million other Americans receiving Social Security, Supplemental
Security Income (SSI), Railroad Retirement or Veterans benefits is not
in the mail but the Social Security Administration still says you should
have it by the end of May. This is money made available by the American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
To be eligible for the payments, a citizen must
have been eligible for one of the benefits listed above in November
2008, December 2008 or January 2009.
Additionally, they must have an address of record
in one of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam,
the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, or the Northern Mariana
Islands.
Social Security released the following about this
one time payment.
Statement from Social Security Administration
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) was
signed into law by President Obama on February 17th, 2009. It is an
unprecedented effort to jumpstart our economy, create or save millions
of jobs, and put a down payment on addressing long-neglected challenges
so our country can thrive in the 21st century. The Act is an
extraordinary response to a crisis unlike any since the Great
Depression, and includes measures to modernize our nation's
infrastructure, enhance energy independence, expand educational
opportunities, preserve and improve affordable health care, provide tax
relief, and protect those in greatest need.
Implementing the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
(Recovery Act)
Our responsibilities under the Recovery Act include replacing the
National Computer Center, dedicating additional resources to the
processing of disability and retirement workloads, and issuing a
one-time payment of $250 to nearly 55 million Social Security and
Supplemental Security Income beneficiaries.
We expect to deliver most of the $250 one-time payments by late May
2009. Our Office of the Inspector General received additional funding
for oversight and audit of programs, projects, and activities funded in
the Recovery Act. Click on the Major Communication link for more details
on each of our Recovery Act programs.
Agency Plans and Reports
We will report weekly through May 12, 2009 on the status of Recovery Act
implementation by program, including major actions taken to date and
major actions planned for the future. Starting on May 8, 2009, we will
post monthly financial information on our Recovery Act programs in
greater detail. Our Office of the Inspector General will be reporting
its plans and reports separately on
its own Recovery Act website. We encourage you to check back often
for updates. Click on the weekly report tab for our reports.
Below is one list
of questions answered on the Social Security Webiste. These answers were
copied on March 24, 2009. To check for updates or changes, click here.
The law provides for a one-time payment for certain individuals
who receive Social Security, Supplemental Security Income (SSI),
Railroad Retirement and Veterans benefits. If you were eligible
for one of these benefits at any time during the months of
November 2008, December 2008 or January 2009, you may be
eligible for the one-time payment. To receive the payment, your
address of record must be in one of the 50 states, the District
of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands,
American Samoa, or the Northern Mariana Islands.
You should receive your one-time payment by the end of May 2009.
You dont need to do anything to receive this
payment. Social Security does not need to contact you to request
information. Please do not contact us about your payment unless
you do not receive it by June 4, 2009. The
Department of the
Treasury will be sending payments throughout the month of
May.
We will deliver your one-time payment the same way we currently
deliver your Social Security or SSI benefit. If we deliver your
monthly benefit by check, we will deliver your one-time payment
by check. If you receive your benefits by direct deposit or
Direct Expressฎ debit card, you will receive the one-time
payment the same way.
We will send your one-time economic recovery payment
separately from your Social Security or SSI benefit; it
will not be included with your monthly benefit payment.
No, you can only get one $250 payment, regardless of how many
types of benefits you receive. For example, if you receive any
combination of Social Security, SSI, Railroad Retirement or
Veterans benefits you still can only get one payment.
No, children under the age of 18 (19 if still in high school)
who receive Social Security benefits are NOT eligible for the
one-time payment. However, adult children who receive disability
benefits on a parents record will receive a payment.
If you have a representative payee, we will send your one-time
payment to your representative payee. Your representative payee
is required by law to use the payment for your personal benefit.
No. In most cases, the following individuals will NOT
receive the one-time payment:
Anyone living outside of the United
States or its territories;
Individuals who no longer are
lawfully present in the United States;
Individuals whose benefits have been
suspended under the law for giving false or misleading
statements;
Social Security beneficiaries who are
minor children*;
SSI beneficiaries who receive
benefits at a reduced rate of $30 because they live in a
medical treatment facility (such as a nursing home or
hospital) and Medicaid pays over 50% of the cost of their
care;
Individuals only entitled to Medicare
and not to Social Security or SSI benefits; and
Prisoners, fugitive felons, and
probation and parole violators.
Every situation is different, and there may
be exceptions to these rules.
*Note: Disabled adult children
receiving Social Security or children receiving SSI payments
will receive the one-time payment.
The law requires the
Department of the Treasury to deduct delinquent child
support and debts owed to state and Federal agencies from the
one-time payment. The one-time payment will not be used to
collect Social Security or SSI benefit overpayments.
The one-time payment will not count as income for SSI. In
addition, it will not count as a resource in the month you
receive it or the following nine months. For example, if you
receive the one-time payment in May 2009, it will not count as a
resource from May 2009 through February 2010. If you still have
this money in March 2010, it will count as a resource starting
that month and may affect your eligibility for SSI.
After June 4, 2009, you can call our toll-free number,
1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) or
contact your local Social Security office to tell us your
payment has not arrived. Please wait until then to ask about
your payment because the
Department of the
Treasury will be sending payments until the end of May.
Do not provide your personal information to anyone requesting it
to process your payment. If you are unsure about the identity of
someone claiming to be a Social Security employee, call
1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) to
verify the call. You may report suspicious activity involving
Social Security programs and operations to the
Social Security Fraud
Hotline website or call 1-800-269-0271 (TTY
1-866-501-2101).
If you are a Social Security or SSI beneficiary, visit
our website.
If you are not a Social Security or SSI
beneficiary and receive only Railroad Retirement or Veterans
benefits:
You can visit the
Railroad Retirement Board (RRB)
website or call 1-877-772-5772 (1-877-RRB-5RRB;
TTY 1-312-751-4701) for more information.
NOTE: You will receive your one-time payment from RRB. You
do not have to do anything in order to receive your payment.
You can visit the
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
website or contact your local VA facility for more
information. NOTE: You will receive your one-time payment
from VA. You do not have to do anything in order to receive
your payment.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) was
signed into law by President Obama on February 17th, 2009. It is an
unprecedented effort to jumpstart our economy, create or save millions
of jobs, and put a down payment on addressing long-neglected challenges
so our country can thrive in the 21st century. The Act is an
extraordinary response to a crisis unlike any since the Great
Depression, and includes measures to modernize our nation's
infrastructure, enhance energy independence, expand educational
opportunities, preserve and improve affordable health care, provide tax
relief, and protect those in greatest need.
You should expect to receive your payment no later
than the first week of June 2009