Shaheen, Hassan Push to Ensure Survivors of Domestic Violence Can Access Their Economic Impact Payment

Press Release

U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) sent a letter with a group of 35 Senators, led by Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Commissioner Charles Rettig urging them to take action to ensure that survivors of domestic violence can access their Economic Impact Payment. Domestic violence survivors face unique barriers that can keep them from being able to access their economic recovery rebates they are legally entitled to under the law.

In May, Senator Shaheen sent a letter to Secretary Mnuchin and Commissioner Rettig raising this issue in response to concerns voiced by domestic violence survivor advocates in New Hampshire.

"The recovery rebate authorized by the CARES Act has been an essential lifeline for Americans suffering economic hardship during the pandemic, but unfortunately, victims of domestic violence face significant barriers in accessing their rebate," the Senators wrote. "Research has shown that 99 percent of victims experience economic abuse as part of domestic violence. In our current environment, stimulus payments are a crucial mechanism of support for these victims. Some survivors have lost income or lost their jobs due to COVID-19, and may be trapped with or feel forced to return to an abusive partner to avoid homelessness. Access to domestic violence services, from shelters to protection orders, has also been limited by COVID-19, making it even harder for domestic violence survivors to maintain safety."

The Senators continued, "The barriers keeping domestic violence victims from accessing their rebates are varied and significant. Victims of domestic violence may be unbanked, have no permanent address, or have no access to the resources needed to file a tax return, making it difficult, if not impossible, for them to obtain their stimulus payment through the methods currently prescribed."

In their letter, the Senators outlined a list of actions the administration should take to address concerns surrounding domestic violence survivors' access to their stimulus payment, which include: a telephone line for survivors to call and report a change of address or misdirected rebate, a process with an online PIN to verify a victim's identity, proactive steps to ascertain the proper address and banking information for taxpayers if a pending "innocent spouse claim" or "Victim of Domestic Violence" indicator is on a taxpayer's account and much more. In addition to addressing these reforms, the Senators also encouraged the IRS and Treasury Department to work closely with advocacy groups that specialize in the financial and other issues facing survivors to ensure that solutions are survivor-informed.

Source