The second stimulus check is coming faster, however, not everyone will get it at once. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the U.S. Department of the Treasury are sending the initial batch of second stimulus checks through direct deposit, physical checks and EIP cards. Payments will continue through January 15, but not everyone who qualifies for the stimulus money will receive their check immediately.
Why only 15 days?
The IRS has set a sending deadline of Jan. 15 for the agency to complete sending the payments. So far the IRS has acted quickly but there are some limitations and other issues that could delay your second stimulus check. Your place in the payment schedule can give you an idea if you’ll be one of the first in line to receive a second stimulus check of up to $600 per person or if you’ll be in the last groups.
The idea of replacing $600 checks with a maximum of $2,000 died in the Senate on Friday, January 1, although President-elect Joe Biden pledged on December 22 to offer a third stimulus check this year.
What group am I in?
First group: People with direct deposit
People whose information is backed up by the IRS are in the first group to receive it since Dec. 29 through direct deposit into their bank accounts.
The “Get My Payment” tool to find out the status of your payment is out of service and the IRS is expected to launch it on its website this week.
Second group: Social Security beneficiaries
With the first stimulus payment, many people receiving Social Security benefits who also had direct deposit information on file with the federal government agency received their check during the first week, although not always on the first day.
People on SSDI and SSI benefits receive their resources through a Direct Express Card, however, most Social Security recipients received their stimulus check payment through a different bank or by paper check.
Third group: People who receive paper checks
The IRS began mailing the first paper checks on Wednesday, Dec. 30. That’s much faster than the first time, but there are still two important limitations you need to know.
The U.S. Treasury can process between 5 million and 7 million paper stimulus checks a week, in addition to checks from other federal programs, according to a June Government Accountability Office report, which means some people will have to wait.
If you don’t receive your stimulus check by January 15, you’ll have to claim it during the tax season. So the timing will depend on when you file your 2020 tax return and how quickly the IRS can process your return.
Fourth group: people who receive an EIP debit card
EIP debit cards are prepaid Visa cards that the IRS sent to about 4 million people last May. If the IRS follows the same payment priority order, this group could start seeing their checks weeks after the first direct deposit transfers go out.
Remember that the envelopes in which these cards arrive are white and do not have any specific markings so you should check your mail carefully. If you do not receive yours by January 15, you will need to file a Recovery Credit between January 16 and April 15 as part of the tax season.
Fifth group: people with complex situations
This category includes people who received a check after June, who are still waiting to receive their payment, or who did not know they needed to complete an extra step.
Here you can find out if you can get your second stimulus check if you haven’t filed your 2019 tax return, which agencies will be able to seize a portion of your check and under what circumstances this can happen, or find out who are the workers who will receive an additional $100 in addition to the $300 in unemployment benefits.