CALLS are growing for Americans to be sent another stimulus check as the country continues to emerge from the Covid pandemic.
President Joe Biden is currently working on two stimulus proposals, which currently focus on creating jobs and supporting families respectively, and do not include another stimulus payment at the moment.
However, many are hopeful that additional stimulus checks and student loan forgiveness will also make the cut.
It comes as close to one million new $1,400 stimulus checks are being sent out as the IRS continues to send out new batches of the third stimulus check to eligible Americans.
Over 165 million Americans have so far received the stimulus check at around a cost of $388 billion.
The latest batch sent out by the IRS marks the ninth set of payments since Congress authorized the $1,400 checks in March.
Read our stimulus live blog for the latest on Covid relief money…
- Luke Kenton
WEST VIRGINIA GOV. WANTS TO GIVE PEOPLE STIMULUS TO GET VACCINATED
West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice is planning to give young people in his state money to get the Covid-19 vaccine, saying the move is “patriotic.”
The state will give residents between the ages of 16 and 35 a $100 savings bond after Justice said they had “hit a wall” when it came to vaccination efforts.
The reason we hit a wall is you’ve got 16 to 35-year-olds that are reluctant, you’ve got the Johnson & Johnson situation, and then, to be perfectly honest, you’ve got some hard-headed people,” Justice told Yahoo! Finance last week.
The governor said that the goal is to incentivize young people who may feel that they do not need the vaccine to help the state reach the goal of vaccinating 70 percent of its population.
- Luke Kenton
AMERICANS TURN DOWN 1.2 MILLION STIMULUS PAYMENTS
The IRS is currently sitting on roughly $2.1 billion in payments that were never accepted by their intended recipients.
Of the 164 million payments that were sent out in the first round of stimulus following the passage of the America Rescue Plan in March, about 1.25 million have never been cashed or were returned or paid back to the US Treasury.
Pennsylvanians, Vermonters, Montanans and Michiganders—three blue states and one red—were the most likely to leave their money on the table, Newsweek reported.
Arizonans and Texans were the least likely to pass up the stimulus payments, according to the outlet.
- Luke Kenton
PETITION TO GIVE MONTHLY $2000 PAYMENTS TO AMERICANS GAINS 2 MILLION SIGNATURES
A petition started by Colorado restaurant owner Stephanie Bonin gained more than two million signatures in mere months after it was posted on Change.org late 2020.
A third round of payments worth up to $1,400 are being sent out across the country with some 730,000 bonus checks worth $1.3 billion having gone out during the last seven days.
Bonin’s petition has surpassed more than two million signatures, increasing the pressure on the president to give Americans monthly checks worth up to $2,000.
If it hits three million, the petition will become one of the most signed on the website.
It has gathered so much support that Change.org recognized it in its list of top 10 petitions that changed 2020.
“I’m calling on Congress to support families with a $2,000 payment for adults and a $1,000 payment for kids immediately, and continuing regular checks for the duration of the crisis,” she says in the petition.
“Otherwise, laid-off workers, furloughed workers, the self-employed, and workers dealing with reduced hours will struggle to pay their rent or put food on the table.”
- Luke Kenton
HOW TO TRACK TAX REFUND
In March, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) extended the tax return deadline from April 15 to May 17.
Yet it’s a good idea to file your return sooner rather than later, as it’ll ensure some Americans get a fourth stimulus check worth $1,400.
The latest data by the IRS show that the average tax refund was $2,873 in the week to April 26, compared with $2,939 for those who filed online.
It comes as almost 111 million tax returns have been filed so far, of which 73.3million households are due refunds.
You can see where your money is 24 hours after you’ve filed your tax return by logging into the IRS’ Where’s My Refund tool.
To do this, you’ll need to enter your Social Security Number (SSN) or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN), which is shown on your tax return.
You’ll also need to enter your filing status and refund amount shown on your tax return – make sure it’s the exact amount shown to get the most accurate information.
You will then be taken to a page that will show you where your refund is.
- Luke Kenton
CALLS FOR $2000 STIMULUS CHECK GETS BACKED BY OVER 75 LAWMAKERS
Joe Biden is under pressure to pass a $2,000 monthly stimulus check after over 75 lawmakers have signed a letter urging for more direct relief to Americans.
The politicians believe that the one-time $1,400 stimulus check, provided by President Biden, is not enough for those struggling during the pandemic.
Back in January, Representative Ilhan Omar and 55 other Democrats sent a letter to Biden urging for him to support ongoing stimulus checks.
However, the president does not appear to back recurring payments, and there are not enough members of Congress that would vote to pass such a bill.
But, Congress could still vote to add additional stimulus checks into any upcoming legislation, such as the infrastructure package.
- Luke Kenton
IS THERE A PROBLEM WITH MY PAYMENT?
The IRS will continue making stimulus payments until the end of the year, but if you qualify but still have received your $1,400 check – or the first two rounds of stimulus – it may be time to take action.
There could be an issue with you payment, such as the IRS have an old address of yours on file.
If you received only some money you think you're eligible to receive, you may also be owed a "plus-up" payment.
For any questions about your payment or request the IRS to trace your payment, use the Get My Payment tool on the agency's website.
- Luke Kenton
WHAT TO DO IF YOU'RE MISSING A PAYMENT
If you still haven't received your $1,400 stimulus check, or if you're still waiting for your first $1,200 payment or second $600 check, you can still claim the missing sums by filing your federal tax return.
This year, the filing deadline has been extended to Monday, May 17.
However, those who choose to pursue an extension until October 15 will still be able to claim the money, the IRS has confirmed.
If you haven't filed a return for the last two years, you're advised to do so now as that will help the IRS process your payment, should you be eligible.
- Luke Kenton
LATEST BATCH OF STIMULUS INCLUDES 'PLUS UP' CHECKS
A new batch of payments has been sent out to Americans, bringing the total number of stimulus checks issued up to around 165 million – or $388 billion.
This marks the ninth round of payments since the $1,400 stimulus checks were signed into law by President Joe Biden in March.
The new batch included more than 960,000 payments representing more than $1.8 billion.
The payments included about 460,000 “plus-up” payments worth more than $800 million to people who were due additional money once the IRS processed their 2020 tax returns.
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