The government issued all three rounds of stimulus checks between 2020 and 2021. However, that doesn’t mean that all eligible individuals actually received them. If you never received yours, or received less than what you were owed, you may still be able to claim it.
At the time, qualifying individuals received the stimulus check through direct deposit, a paper check or a debit card. If your stimulus check was directly deposited, the stimulus money should have appeared in your bank account electronically.
Similarly, those who filed taxes and provided the IRS with their direct deposit information should have received the emergency financial assistance payment this way. If your direct deposit information is not on file with the IRS, you may have received the stimulus check through mail as a check or a debit card.
What if I did not receive a check?
If you meet the eligibility requirements laid out by the IRS but you did not receive a government stimulus check, you may have already claimed it as a Recovery Rebate Credit when you filed your 2020 or 2021 taxes using Form 1040 or Form 1040-SR.
If you were not required to file taxes, you should have still used one of these forms to get your credit, since these funds are essential free government money for individuals. The credit was used to increase your tax refund or lower the taxes that you owed.
If you never received these payments or received less than what you were owed, you may still be able to claim them. However, you only have until May 17, 2024 to file a tax return to claim the 2020 Recovery Rebate Credit. For the 2021 Recovery Rebate Credit, you must file a tax return by April 15, 2025.
If you have already received the full stimulus payments, you do not need to complete Form 1040 or Form 1040-SR (unless you normally file taxes).
After you have received your stimulus money, you should get an IRS Notice1444-B with information about your payment. Be sure to keep this notice, along with Notice 1444 for the first stimulus payment, as you may need them when filing taxes.
What about monthly cash assistance?
If you received the full stimulus check and are considered to have extremely low income, you may qualify for other forms of government assistance. This may include help from programs like TANF, which provides monthly cash assistance and other benefits to families that need help paying bills and qualify for the program.
Once you apply for TANF through your state and are approved to begin receiving payments, you will likely be given an electronic benefits transfer (EBT) card. This card is similar to the card you would get if you were receiving food assistance through SNAP. It works just like a debit card and may be used to pay for any product or service other than alcohol, “adult” entertainment or gambling.
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