Stimulus check status: What to do if yours hasn't come yet

Stimulus check coronavirus
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More than 127 million stimulus payments provided by the Biden relief package have been distributed to American taxpayers, but some non-filers and federal benefit recipients are still waiting for their stimulus checks — and may be waiting for a while longer. 

Social Security, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Veterans Affairs (VA) and Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) beneficiaries are among those who are eligible for $1,400 stimulus checks but who have yet to receive their money. Many individuals in these groups are retired or disabled and not required to file tax returns. 

"I'm having to put off everything — utility bills, cable," one Florida retiree waiting for his stimulus check told CBS News. "I had to be late on rent."

The IRS has yet to determine when federal beneficiaries who did not file a tax return in 2019 or 2020 and did not enter their information into the non-filers tool last year can expect to receive their third stimulus payment. 

On Wednesday (March 24), four Democratic members of the House Ways and Means Committee sent a letter to the IRS and Social Security Administration demanding that the agencies expedite payments to federal beneficiaries. 

Lawmakers also placed responsibility for the delay with the SSA, which reportedly has yet to provide the IRS the proper paperwork to issue almost 30 million checks to federal beneficiaires.   

"Some of our most vulnerable seniors and persons with disabilities, including veterans who served our country with honor, are unable to pay for basic necessities while they wait for their overdue payments," the letter said.

According to an IRS frequently asked questions page, beneficiaries do not need to take any action to receive their third stimulus payment. However, those who can claim dependents eligible for a $1,400 benefit will need to file a 2020 tax return. 

Check your payment status

If you haven't received your stimulus check, you can enter your information into the IRS Get My Payment tool. While the tracker may take time to update or fail to give you an exact status for the moment, it is the only option to estimate when you can expect your check. 

If the IRS tool tells you that your payment status is "not available," that means the IRS may not yet have received the information it needs from other agencies. If so, it's best to check again a few days later.

According to the IRS, all recent tax filers whose up-to-date direct-deposit information is on file with the IRS should have received their stimulus payments in their bank accounts by yesterday (March 24). Paper checks and debit cards were also mailed out yesterday, but IRS officials will likely mail more in the coming weeks.

Emily Long

Emily Long is a Utah-based freelance writer who covers consumer technology, privacy and personal finance for Tom's Guide. She has been reporting and writing for nearly 10 years, and her work has appeared in Wirecutter, Lifehacker, NBC BETTER and CN Traveler, among others. When she's not working, you can find her trail running, teaching and practicing yoga, or studying for grad school — all fueled by coffee, obviously.