First Economic Impact Payment Questions and Answers — Topic H: Social Security, Railroad Retirement and Department of Veteran Affairs benefit recipients

A1. If you have not received the $500 per qualifying child for the first Economic Impact Payment, you may be eligible to claim the 2020 Recovery Rebate Credit when filing your 2020 tax return using Form 1040 or Form 1040-SR.

When you file your 2020 tax return, you may also be eligible to claim the Recovery Rebate Credit for your spouse and any qualifying children under age 17 at the end of 2020. See the special section on IRS.gov about claiming the Recovery Rebate Credit if you aren’t required to file a tax return.

If you don’t normally file a tax return and you need to file a federal tax return for 2020, anyone with income of $72,000 or less can file their federal tax return electronically for free through the IRS Free File Program.

A2. While most eligible individuals automatically received their Economic Impact Payment,  we may not have had enough information to issue a payment to other benefit recipients.
The IRS and Treasury have issued all first and second Economic Impact Payments.

If you didn’t get any first or second  Economic Impact Payments or got less than the full amounts, you may qualify for the 2020 Recovery Rebate Credit and must file a 2020 tax return to claim the credit even if you don’t normally file.

See the special section on IRS.gov about claiming the Recovery Rebate Credit if you aren’t required to file a tax return.

A4. The IRS and Treasury have issued all first and second Economic Impact Payments.

If you didn’t get any first or second  Economic Impact Payments or got less than the full amounts, you may qualify for the 2020 Recovery Rebate Credit and must file a 2020 tax return to claim the credit even if you don’t normally file.

See the special section on IRS.gov about claiming the Recovery Rebate Credit if you aren’t required to file a tax return.

A4. If you did not file a tax return or use the Non-Filer tool to claim a spouse or any qualifying children, your first Economic Impact Payment was $1,200.

If you filed a tax return or used the Non-Filer tool to claim a spouse or qualifying children, your first Economic Impact Payment was based on the return filed or the information you entered in the Non-Filer tool.

When you file your 2020 tax return, you may also be eligible to claim the Recovery Rebate Credit for your spouse and any qualifying children under age 17 at the end of 2020. See the special section on IRS.gov about claiming the Recovery Rebate Credit if you aren’t required to file a tax return.

If you don’t normally file a tax return and you need to file a federal tax return for 2020, anyone with income of $72,000 or less can file their federal tax return electronically for free through the IRS Free File Program.

A5. If you filed a 2019 or 2018 tax return, your Payment was or will be sent to the bank account provided on your tax return for a direct deposit of your tax refund, or mailed to the address we have on file if your  tax refund was mailed or if you had no refund on your tax return. If you did not file a 2019 or 2018 tax return:

• An Individual Representative Payee should have received your payment to the same direct deposit account or Direct Express card as your monthly benefit payment.
• For an Organizational Representative Payee, the payee should have received your payment electronically or by mail.

See Social Security & Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) for more information.