Around three separate rounds of stimulus check payments during the coronavirus pandemic helped millions of citizens in America weather this crisis- but there could be around 10 million people in the country who haven’t yet received their money, according to a new report published by the federal government.
It has been estimated that close to 165 million Americans are eligible for the payments, which brings the total to $931 billion- according to the Government Accountability Office. The IRS had previously relied on tax returns in order to determine the eligibility and sent the payments to the families and individuals- as they could only rely on information provided through bank accounts and home addresses.
Stimulus Check Payments Available To 10 Million Citizens
But as it stands, this led millions of Americans- such as those with very low income, or seniors who received just their Social Security benefits, to miss out on the stimulus check payments- for they didn’t need to file their taxes.
This made it even more difficult for the IRS to reach when it had been distributing the stimulus payments, and so they could have missed out on receiving all the payments- according to the GAO. In the report, the GAO further stated that throughout the pandemic, the Treasury, as well as the IRS had struggled to get the payments into the hands of the people- especially those with limited access to the internet, low incomes, or those experiencing homelessness.
On Thursday, the IRS stated that it would be sending in letters to around 9 million families who could be eligible for receiving the stimulus check payments or the Child Tax Credits, but hadn’t claimed them by filing for a tax return in 2021.
