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Report Child Abuse & NeglectUnclaimed Stimulus Payments
It is estimated that there are 233,000 people in Louisiana, mostly with very low incomes, who are eligible for a CARES Act stimulus payment but have not received it because they did not file a tax return for 2018 or 2019. About three-fourths of these non-filers are connected to SNAP and/or Medicaid. They have until Nov. 21, 2020, to claim the payment.
What is the stimulus check for? How much would I get?
Congress authorized one-time payments to individuals and families under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). The money targets low- to middle-income individuals and families to help them with the financial pressures caused by the coronavirus and related economic shutdown. Eligible adults can receive $1,200 each, or $2,400 for a married couple, and $500 per child under 17.
Will getting a stimulus check affect my eligibility for SNAP or Medicaid?
No. The federal stimulus checks, also known as Economic Impact Payments, are not counted as income in determining SNAP or Medicaid eligibility.
For more information about SNAP eligibility, visit http://www.dcfs.louisiana.gov/page/snap-eligibility.
For more information about Medicaid eligibility, visit https://ldh.la.gov/index.cfm/page/220.
I never received a federal stimulus check. Is it too late to claim it?
No, it’s not too late. Many people did not automatically receive a check (including as many as 300,000 Louisianans) because they were not required to file a federal tax return for 2019 due to low household income. If that’s your situation, you must provide your information to the IRS no later than November 21, 2020, in order to receive your stimulus check.
IMPORTANT NOTE: If you were required to file a federal tax return for 2019, even if you were granted an extension to file it, your deadline for providing information to the IRS to receive a stimulus check is October 15, 2020. More information can be found on the IRS website at https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-extends-economic-impact-payment-deadline-to-nov-21-to-help-non-filers.
How do I claim my stimulus check if I wasn’t required to file a federal tax return for 2019?
If you have not yet received your payment, you must provide your information to the IRS no later than November 21, 2020, through either a 2019 tax return or a simplified online form called the IRS “Non-Filer” tool.
Only use the “Non-Filer” tool if you are NOT required to file a 2019 tax return. To find out whether you are required to file a tax return, use the IRS “Do I Need to File a Tax Return?” tool at https://www.irs.gov/help/ita/do-i-need-to-file-a-tax-return. (The IRS says if you are required to file a 2019 tax return and use the “Non-Filer” tool to request your stimulus check, it will slow down the processing of your tax return and any refund you may be entitled to receive.)
If you do not need to file a 2019 tax return, you can claim your stimulus check by using the IRS “Non-Filer” tool on the IRS website at https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus/non-filers-enter-payment-info-here.
How do I know whether I need to file a 2019 tax return or use the “Non-Filer” tool to claim my stimulus check?
Only use the “Non-Filer” tool if you are NOT required to file a 2019 tax return. To find out whether you are required to file a tax return, use the IRS’s “Do I Need to File a Tax Return?” tool at https://www.irs.gov/help/ita/do-i-need-to-file-a-tax-return.
If you do not need to file a 2019 tax return, you can claim your stimulus check by using the IRS’s “Non-Filer” tool on the IRS website at https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus/non-filers-enter-payment-info-here.
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