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Report: 20 Million Americans Have Not Received Stimulus Checks

Posted By Wayne Dupree On May 11, 2020 @ 5:11 pm In Politics | No Comments

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Hopefully, this problem gets fixed quickly. I know this is not what Pres. Trump wanted, and I am sure he’s asking questions from the top-level experts on how to fix this situation. If there is one thing, Pres. Trump doesn’t want, and that is his name tarnished because someone else couldn’t do their jobs.

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According to a CBS report, 20 million Americans have not received their “stimulus check.” In the last report, there were over 30 million that have claimed unemployment so you can see how sticky the situation can be if not taken care of.

To me, this isn’t a “stimulus check” in its broadest form. This is a “stay afloat” check for many people. It should be used according to your situation. The last thing anything anyone should do with this money is to be irresponsible with it. It should be used to pay living expenses (food, rent, etc.), pay bills, or saved. If you are fortunate enough to be in an excellent financial situation, you could donate it or give it to a family member or friend in need.

This isn’t a stimulus check. Let’s stop calling it that. With as many people claiming unemployment, there are not many places to spend it anyway. Let’s call it what it is: money to pay the essential needs of life.

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[CBS News ^[4]] The federal stimulus payments aimed at helping Americans weather the economic hit from the coronavirus pandemic seem to have generated as much anxiety as relief. At the top of the list are how and when the checks are being distributed, with the IRS noting on Friday that it has issued 130 million payments worth a total of $200 billion.

That still leaves about 20 million Americans awaiting their money. Although the payments can vary in amount depending on income, family size and other factors, single taxpayers who earn less than $75,000 a year can generally expect a payment of $1,200. Married taxpayers earning less than $150,000 receive $2,400, while children under the age of 17 are eligible to get $500 each.

That can add up to $3,400 for a family of four. But it’s not always clear to consumers when the money will land in their mailboxes or bank accounts. The answer depends on a number of things, including when you filed your most recent returns and whether the IRS has your bank account information on file.

More people are still waiting for the stimulus and their unemployment, and some even still waiting on their tax returns.

There are many glitches and hiccups in all of these programs.

The IRS rolled out a tool called “Get My Payment” last month to help taxpayers figure out when they’ll receive their payment and update their bank information. Yet many consumers reported that the site gave them an ambiguous message — “Payment status not available” — that only fueled frustration.

Residents in some states have had more luck getting their payments than others, according to a CBS MoneyWatch analysis of IRS data and the number of taxpayers in each state. West Virginia has the highest share of taxpayers who have received their payments, with almost all taxpayers having received their payments. The lowest share is New Jersey, where about 7 in 10 people have their stimulus checks in hand.

The gap between those two states likely comes down to residents’ income, tax filing status and bank account information. The IRS is first sending checks to lower- and middle-income households. Because New Jersey’s median annual household income is almost $82,000 — almost twice West Virginia’s $44,000 — it’s possible more taxpayers in New Jersey will receive their checks later.

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Here are some other reasons you may be one of the 20 million people still waiting for your stimulus check.

You recently filed a tax return
You have a high income
The IRS doesn’t have your banking info
You’re a non-tax filer, but not on Social Security
The IRS had the wrong bank account
You owed the IRS and used direct pay

For instance, a person I know, and her husband both get social security checks automatically deposited into a bank account they have had for years. The husband who just retired ( at 82 yrs of age) filed income tax and also used this bank account.

But when she goes into the system to find out about their stimulus, it says that they are eligible but needs more info such as their banking info to deposit it into account. They have been sending ss and tax returns to that bank account now all of a sudden they don’t have the info.

This is why most Americans hate when the government is in control of a program because it always gets broke.

This piece was written by Wayne Dupree on May 11, 2020. It originally appeared in WayneDupree.com ^[6] and is used by permission.