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Information About Your One-Time Payment

Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

 

Good news! The economic recovery bill that President Obama signed into law in February 2009 provides for a one-time payment of $250 to Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) beneficiaries.

 

You should receive your one-time payment by late May 2009. You do not need to take any action to get this payment.

 

Here is some helpful information about the one-time payment that you will receive:

 

•  Your one-time payment will be $250. Each person will get only one payment. If you receive both Social Security and SSI benefits, you will receive only one payment of $250.

 

•  If we directly deposit your Social Security or SSI payment to your financial institution, the $250 one-time payment will be deposited into your account. If we mail your Social Security or SSI payment to you, we will mail the $250 one-time payment to you.

 

•  We will not include the payment in your monthly Social Security or SSI benefit payment. You will receive the $250 payment separately.

 

•  If you are married and both you and your spouse receive Social Security or SSI, you will each receive a $250 payment. However, children under the age of 18 (age 19 if still in high school) who receive Social Security benefits are not eligible for the $250 payment. Since every family situation is different and the rules can be complicated, please visit http://www.socialsecurity.gov to learn more and review our frequently asked questions on the economic recovery payments.

 

•  The economic recovery legislation also provides for a one-time payment to recipients of Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) benefits. However, if you receive Social Security or SSI benefits and you also receive VA and/or RRB benefits, you will only receive one $250 payment. The Social Security Administration will send you this payment.

 

•  We will not count the one-time payment as income for SSI purposes. If you keep the one-time payment for 9 months or more, it will count toward your SSI resource limit.

 

•  The law requires the Department of the Treasury to offset these one-time payments to collect delinquent child support and debts owed to state and federal agencies.

 

Again, you do not need to do anything to receive this payment. To assist us in issuing these payments as quickly as possible, please do not contact us about your payment unless you do not receive it by June 4, 2009. Do not provide your personal information to someone who contacts you requesting it to process your payment.

 

For more information, please visit www.socialsecurity.gov.

 

Michael J. Astrue

Commissioner