A new press release from the Social Security Administration sent Monday includes guidance for individuals who are beneficiaries of Social Security and Supplemental Social Security Income (SSI) and are attempting to receive their economic impact payments.

“The Treasury Department launched a new web tool allowing registration for economic impact payments for eligible individuals who do not normally file a tax return and also announced that it would begin making automatic payments,” the release states. “However, for some people receiving benefits from the Social Security Administration—specifically those who have dependent children under the age of 17—it is to their advantage to go to this portal to ensure they also get the $500 per dependent economic impact payment.”

The release encourages individuals receiving Social Security retirement, survivors or disability insurance benefits, who did not file a 2018 or 2019 tax return and who have qualifying children up to age 17 to visit the IRS’s website and fill out their information instead of waiting for an automatic $1,200 payment.

“By taking proactive steps to enter information on the IRS website about them and their qualifying children, they will also receive the $500 per dependent child payment in addition to their $1,200 individual payment,” the release states. “If Social Security beneficiaries in this group do not provide their information to the IRS soon, they will have to wait to receive their $500 per qualifying child.”

The release also recommends SSI recipients, particularly those with qualifying children under age 17, follow the same steps to receive their full payments. It says new beneficiaries of Social Security or SSI benefits (beginning January 2020) who did not file a 2018 or 2019 tax return should do the same.

It states, “To receive the full amount of the economic impact payments you and your family are eligible for, go to the IRS’s ‘Non-Filers: Enter Payment Info’ page at www.irs.gov/coronavirus/economic-impact-payments and provide information about yourself and your qualifying children.”

The release states that Social Security retirement, survivors or disabilities beneficiaries without qualifying children under age 17 should still automatically receive their $1,200 payments without contacting the IRS if such individuals have received a 2019 Social Security benefits statement (SSA-1099).

Economic impact payments are not considered income for SSI recipients and are excluded from resources for 12 months.

To view eligibility requirements and other information regarding economic impact payments, visit www.irs.gov/coronavirus/economic-impact-payment-information-center. General updates may be found at www.irs.gov/coronavirus and www.socialsecurity.gov/coronavirus.

Douglas Harding can be contacted at [email protected].