In the News

U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright said help is here for Pennsylvania’s seniors and he wants them to get the money that is rightfully theirs.

Cartwright, D-Moosic, announced that many Social Security recipients and others who have not yet received their Economic Impact Payments of up to $1,400 from the American Rescue Plan should expect to see electronic payments hit their bank accounts or be loaded onto their Direct Express Cards beginning this week.

The latest round of electronic payments applies specifically to those who receive Social Security retirement, survivor or disability (SSDI), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) benefits and who did not file a 2019 or 2020 tax return or did not use the Non-Filers tool.

Cartwright said most payments will be automatically deposited into bank accounts or loaded onto the Direct Express Cards where they receive Social Security benefits. Those waiting on paper checks or debit cards through the mail should expect to receive their payments over the next several days.

Cartwright said many Northeastern Pennsylvania residents have already received their payments. In total, 86 percent of Pennsylvania adults are expected to receive Economic Impact Payments of up to $1,400 per person through the American Rescue Plan.

Cartwright encourages all Pennsylvanians to use the “Get My Payment” tool from IRS.gov to check the status of their payments and make sure they receive the money they are owed. In most cases, these payments are automatic and no action is necessary to receive them.

How to check the status of your payment: Cartwright is encouraging Pennsylvanians to go online and check the status of their payment using the “Get My Payment” tool at: https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus/get-my-payment.

Those who have not yet received first and/or second Economic Impact Payments or received less than they believe they are eligible for may be able to claim the 2020 Recovery Rebate Credit and must file a 2020 tax return, even if they are not otherwise required to file.

The agency has advised people to claim the credit for the first and second stimulus on Line 30 of either the 2020 1040 A or the 2020 1040 SR. Electronic filing of submitted tax forms are also requested if possible, as their mail processing has delays.

What to expect: Pennsylvanians could start seeing payments show up in their bank accounts as soon as this week if their 2019 or 2020 taxes have been processed by the IRS, or they used the “non-filer portal” for previous payments and provided their bank account information to the IRS.

Recipients of other federal government benefits, like Social Security, Supplemental Security Income, Railroad Retirement Board, or Veterans Affairs benefits, should expect to receive a payment automatically as well.

For Pennsylvanians awaiting a paper check or debit card, some checks have been mailed already, but most will find their paper checks or debit cards in the mail over the next several weeks.

The IRS continues to distribute the three Economic Impact Payments and is turning its attention to the 2021 filing season. The IRS will continue to process 2019 and 2020 tax filings.

Those who are still awaiting 2019 or 2020 tax returns and receive a letter from the IRS asking for additional documentation should respond promptly to the IRS as instructed, but should also expect long processing times.

How many Pennsylvanians will get payments: According to the White House, more than 8.1 million adults and 2.8 million children in Pennsylvania are eligible to receive payments of up to $1,400 per person through the American Rescue Plan that Rep. Cartwright helped pass into law. That means 86 percent of all Pennsylvania adults and 84 percent of all Pennsylvania children in the state are set to receive payments.