Letter to the Hon. Steven Mnuchin, Secretary of the Dept. of the Treasury - Larson, Davis, Urge Treasury to Extend Deadline for Social Security Beneficiaries to Receive Economic Impact Payment for Dependents

Letter

Dear Secretary Mnuchin,

We write regarding a special alert issued yesterday by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for Social Security and Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) beneficiaries who do not file tax returns and who have qualified dependents. In short, the alert states that, if these individuals wish to receive stimulus payments for their dependents, they must register on the IRS's non-filer portal by tomorrow at noon. Though we appreciate that the IRS is endeavoring to pay these individuals as quickly as possible, we are concerned that this vulnerable population has been given less than forty-eight hours to act. We urge the Department of the Treasury (Treasury) to make an additional accommodation this year for beneficiaries who are unable to register and provide dependent information in time.

As you are aware, older Americans are among the most vulnerable in our country and have been one of the groups hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. Accordingly, it is paramount that these individuals receive the full and correct amount of their stimulus payments this year without undue delay or hardship. In light of the special alert issued by the IRS yesterday, we are deeply concerned that some of these beneficiaries will face both hardship and delay and will not receive the full amount of money that they are rightfully owed. This delay could impact their ability to care for dependent children or grandchildren currently living with them.

The alert, issued late yesterday afternoon, imposed a deadline of noon tomorrow for these individuals, many of whom are elderly and unaccustomed to dealing with the IRS. It states that beneficiaries who miss the deadline will have to wait until 2021 and file a 2020 tax return to receive their full stimulus payment. Our concerns over this deadline are particularly acute because many of these beneficiaries are seniors with limited or no internet access. Requiring these Americans to wait so long for emergency assistance appears to be inconsistent with the goals of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, which authorized these payments.

Given the importance of these payments at this critical time, we urge Treasury to consider all available options for paying these beneficiaries additional amounts owed this year. We request that beneficiaries who provide their dependent information after the deadline receive payment for their dependents promptly thereafter, whether those recipients are the Social Security and RRB families affected by the current short deadline, or the Supplemental Security Income beneficiaries and veterans who will also need to file to receive payment for dependents. We also request that Treasury consider an alternative option for Americans who may have limited or no internet access, so that they too can receive payment for their dependents as soon as possible.

Thank you, in advance, for your attention to this urgent matter.

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