NH Congressional Delegation Calls for Action on Incorrect or Missing Stimulus Payments Following Concerns Raised by Constituents

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Representatives Annie Kuster (NH-02) and Chris Pappas (NH-01) called on the Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to help individuals who did not receive their COVID-19 stimulus payments or received inaccurate payments as soon as possible. The letter follows concerns raised by Granite Staters who have not received their full stimulus payments.

“Americans urgently need this direct cash assistance, and we have heard from many constituents who have received stimulus payments that are less than they were owed, or have not received their payments at all,” wrote the Congressional Delegation. “We commend the work of your agencies in rapidly distributing approximately 130 million stimulus payments within the weeks following passage of the CARES Act. More than 500,000 payments have been distributed to Granite Staters so far, totaling nearly $1 billion in direct cash assistance to our constituents….However, we are concerned about the significant number of individuals in New Hampshire who have contacted our offices regarding a variety of problems with their stimulus payments.”

In the letter, the Congressional Delegation cites issues such as Social Security and disability beneficiaries who either did not receive their payments automatically as intended, or filed to receive the $500 payment for dependents but did not receive that payment. Others are tax filers who should have received their payments but did not.

While the IRS this week created a hotline for individuals to call with questions, the IRS has previously indicated that if individuals did not receive their full payment, they would need to wait until 2021 to receive the correct amount. “Struggling families in New Hampshire cannot wait until 2021 to receive the full stimulus payments to which they are entitled by law,” wrote the Congressional Delegation.

The letter from the NH Congressional Delegation sent today follows efforts led by Senator Hassan to get Americans the stimulus payments they are entitled to. As a result of efforts led by Senator Hassan and joined by colleagues including Senator Shaheen, more than 18 million Americans will now automatically receive their $1,200 stimulus payments included in the bipartisan CARES Act without having to file tax returns. This includes automatic payments to those who receive Social Security retirement or disability benefits, Supplemental Security Income, and VA pension, disability, or survivor benefits.

Read the NH Congressional Delegation’s full letter here or below:

Dear Secretary Mnuchin and Commissioner Rettig:

We write to urge the Treasury and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to provide recourse as quickly as possible to individuals who have not received the full stimulus payments they are entitled to under the bipartisan Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Americans urgently need this direct cash assistance, and we have heard from many constituents who have received stimulus payments that are less than they were owed, or have not received their payments at all. It is vital that your agencies inform Congress of the resources that you need to promptly and effectively assist individuals who have not received their full stimulus payments.

We commend the work of your agencies in rapidly distributing approximately 130 million stimulus payments within the weeks following passage of the CARES Act. More than 500,000 payments have been distributed to Granite Staters so far, totaling nearly $1 billion in direct cash assistance to our constituents. We also thank you for swiftly responding to bipartisan calls from Congress to automatically provide stimulus payments to the 18 million Social Security retirement, Social Security disability, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and Veterans Affairs (VA) recipients who do not file tax returns.

However, we are concerned about the significant number of individuals in New Hampshire who have contacted our offices regarding a variety of problems with their stimulus payments. Many are Social Security retirement and disability beneficiaries who do not file tax returns and who should have already received their full stimulus payments automatically. We have heard from eligible Social Security beneficiaries who have not received automatic stimulus payments at all, or did not receive their full $1,200 payments. Our offices are also working with Social Security beneficiaries who, despite using the IRS’s online Non-Filer Tool prior to the relevant deadlines, did not receive their $500 dependent payments as part of their automatic payments.

We have also been contacted by Granite Staters who filed tax returns, but did not receive their full $1,200 stimulus payments. These include individuals who receive Social Security benefits and typically file taxes. In other cases, individuals require assistance troubleshooting issues that prevent them from accessing their payment, whether received through direct deposit, as a check, or in the same manner as their Social Security, SSI, or VA benefits. Further, our constituents continue to encounter problems with the IRS’s Get My Payment online tool. Many individuals in New Hampshire have contacted us because the tool does not recognize their information or will not provide an estimated disbursal date for their stimulus payment.

All of these issues underscore the urgency of the Treasury and IRS establishing an effective way for individuals to promptly receive personal assistance from your agencies with missing, incorrect, or inaccessible stimulus payments. The IRS announcement yesterday that the agency is adding 3,500 telephone representatives to answer stimulus payment questions is an important first step. Nevertheless, according to the IRS, the agency “is not able to correct or issue additional payments at this time and will provide further details on IRS.gov on the action people may need to take in the future.” Though we appreciate the unprecedented work underway at your agencies with the implementation of the CARES Act, we urge you to provide these further resources on IRS.gov as soon as possible.

We also urge the Treasury and IRS to provide recourse as quickly as possible to individuals who have not received their full stimulus payments. At its Economic Impact Payment Information Center, the IRS has indicated that individuals who did not receive their full stimulus payments will receive corrected payments in 2021, when they file their 2020 tax returns. Struggling families in New Hampshire cannot wait until 2021 to receive the full stimulus payments to which they are entitled by law. Moreover, requiring individuals to file tax returns to receive their full payments imposes significant burdens on non-filers, including Social Security, SSI, and VA beneficiaries who should have received their full payments automatically. In addition to responding to bipartisan calls to ensure that Social Security, SSI, and VA beneficiaries receive their $500 dependent payments as soon as possible, we urge your agencies to ensure that all individuals promptly receive their full stimulus payments.

Again, we commend the Treasury and IRS for your continued efforts to rapidly provide direct cash assistance to Americans during the COVID-19 crisis. We stand ready to assist your agencies should you require greater resources in order to provide personal assistance to individuals regarding problems with their stimulus payments and to ensure that individuals receive their full stimulus payments as soon as possible.

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