Americans had received the third wave of stimulus checks when President Joe Biden enacted a $1.9trillion COVID relief package in March 2021.
But some folks are still waiting for their stimulus check worth up to $1,400.
There are a handful of reasons why you might still be waiting for payment, including IRS hold-ups, bank snafus, and more.
The delay could be detrimental to millions who are hoping to purchase groceries, pay bills, or alleviate debts with the funds.
You can always check on the status of your stimulus check by using the IRS online tool to track your payment. Below, we round up eight common reasons why you’ve not yet received a stimulus check.
The Reasons Why You Might Not Qualify For The Stimulus Checks
1: You failed to qualify
The requirements for the third stimulus check differed from those of the first two payments. Previously, the qualifying threshold was a maximum income of $100,000 for single taxpayers and $200,000 for couples filing jointly.
However, for the third wave of stimulus checks, the thresholds were lowered to $80,000 and $160,000, respectively.
2: You haven’t filed a tax return
If you do qualify but have not filed a tax return recently, there may be a hold-up in receiving your funds. This may come as a surprise, but not everyone has to file a tax return every year.
3: You’ve retired and claimed Social Security
If you’re retired and rely on Social Security benefits, there’s a chance your payment has been delayed due to the Social Security Administration (SSA). The SSA was supposed to transfer information to the IRS to allow Social Security claimants to receive their stimulus checks with ease.
4: Change of address or bank account
If you’ve moved since the Covid relief package was passed, it’s possible that the IRS doesn’t have your new information. As a result, your check may have been mailed to your old address. Similarly, if you’ve opened a new bank account and the IRS does not have that info, your payment could be delayed.
5: A paper check or debit card was sent
If you did not receive a direct deposit and instead are waiting on a paper check or debit card, it’s possible that it got mixed up in the mail or even accidentally discarded in the trash. You can use the IRS tool to track your payment and see if it may have been sent out already.
6: Bank hold-up
Some banks, including JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo, future-dated their checks to coincide with the IRS’s official payment date.
7: Debt collector claimed the payment
While the first two stimulus checks issued were not allowed to be claimed by debt collectors, the third check is up for grabs.
8: Checks were distributed in batches
The first batch of checks was sent out shortly after the legislation was passed in March 2021.
The IRS has yet to declare that all payments have been sent out.
