One Time Economic Recovery Payment
Social Security
One-Time
Economic
Recovery
Payment2009
www.socialsecurity.gov
One-Time Economic
Recovery Payment
On February 17, 2009, President Barack
Obama signed into law the American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act. This law
provides for a one-time economic recovery
payment of $250 to people who get certain
types of Federal benefits.
Who will receive the one-time
$250 economic recovery payment?
The law provides for a one-time
payment for certain individuals who
receive Social Security, Supplemental
Security Income (SSI), Railroad
Retirement and Veterans benefits.
If you were eligible for one of these
benefits at any time during the months
of November 2008, December 2008 or
January 2009, you may be eligible for
the one-time payment. To receive the
payment, your address of record must be
in one of the 50 states, the District of
Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S.
Virgin Islands, American Samoa, or the
Northern Mariana Islands.
If I am eligible for the one-time
payment, when will I receive it?
You should receive your one-time
payment by the end of May 2009. You
don’t need to do anything to receive this
payment. Social Security does not need
to contact you to request information.
Please do not contact us about your
payment unless you do not receive it
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by June 4, 2009. The Department of
the Treasury will be sending payments
throughout the month of May.
How will I receive my
one-time payment?
We will deliver your one-time payment
the same way we currently deliver your
Social Security or SSI benefit. If we
deliver your monthly benefit by check,
we will deliver your one-time payment
by check. If you receive your benefits
by direct deposit or Direct Express®
debit card, you will receive the one-time
payment the same way.
We will send your one-time economic
recovery payment separately from
your Social Security or SSI benefit; it
will not be included with your monthly
benefit payment.
I receive both Social Security
and SSI. Does this mean I’ll
receive two one-time economic
recovery payments?
No, you can only get one $250
payment, regardless of how many types
of benefits you receive. For example, if
you receive any combination of Social
Security, SSI, Railroad Retirement or
Veterans benefits you still can only get
one payment.
3
If my spouse and I both receive
Social Security or SSI benefits,
will we each get a one-time
economic recovery payment?
Yes, if both you and your spouse
are receiving benefits from Social
Security or SSI, you each will get the
one-time payment.
Are children who receive
Social Security benefits eligible
for the one-time economic
recovery payment?
No, children under the age of 18 (19 if
still in high school) who receive Social
Security benefits are NOT eligible for
the one-time payment. However, adult
children who receive disability benefits on
a parent’s record will receive a payment.
Are children who receive SSI
benefits eligible for the one-time
economic recovery payment?
Yes, children receiving SSI are eligible
for the one-time payment.
I have a representative payee.
Who will receive my one-time
economic recovery payment?
If you have a representative payee, we
will send your one-time payment to your
representative payee. Your representative
payee is required by law to use the
payment for your personal benefit.
4
Will ALL Social Security and SSI
beneficiaries receive a one-time
economic recovery payment of $250?
No. In most cases, the following
individuals will NOT receive the one-
time payment:
• Anyone living outside of the United
States or its territories;
• Individuals who no longer are lawfully
present in the United States;
• Individuals whose benefits have been
suspended under the law for giving
false or misleading statements;
• Social Security beneficiaries who are
minor children*;
• SSI beneficiaries who receive benefits
at a reduced rate of $30 because they
live in a medical treatment facility
(such as a nursing home or hospital)
and Medicaid pays over 50% of the
cost of their care;
• Individuals only entitled to Medicare
and not to Social Security or SSI
benefits; and
• Prisoners, fugitive felons, and
probation and parole violators.
Every situation is different, and there
may be exceptions to these rules.
*Note: Disabled adult children
receiving Social Security or children
receiving SSI payments will receive the
one-time payment.
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Will I receive the one-time
economic recovery payment if I have
a delinquent Federal or state debt?
The law requires the Department
of the Treasury to deduct delinquent
child support and debts owed to state
and Federal agencies from the one-time
payment. The one-time payment will
not be used to collect Social Security or
SSI benefit overpayments.
Will the one-time economic
recovery payment count as income
or resources when determining
eligibility for SSI?
The one-time payment will not
count as income for SSI. In addition,
it will not count as a resource in the
month you receive it or the following
nine months. For example, if you
receive the one-time payment in May
2009, it will not count as a resource
from May 2009 through February
2010. If you still have this money in
March 2010, it will count as a resource
starting that month and may affect your
eligibility for SSI.
Will the one-time economic
recovery payment count as
earnings when determining
eligibility for Social Security
disability benefits?
No. The one-time economic
recovery payment will not count as
income or earnings for Social Security
disability benefits.
6
If I don’t receive my one-time
economic recovery payment by
June 4, what should I do?
After June 4, 2009, you can call
our toll-free number, 1-800-772-1213
(TTY 1-800-325-0778) or contact your
local Social Security office to tell us
your payment has not arrived. Please
wait until then to ask about your
payment because the Department of
the Treasury will be sending payments
until the end of May.
What should I do if someone
calls or E-mails me asking for
personal information to process
my payment?
Do not provide your personal
information to anyone requesting it
to process your payment. If you are unsure
about the identity of someone claiming
to be a Social Security employee, call
1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) to
verify the call. You may report suspicious
activity involving Social Security programs
and operations to the Social Security
Fraud Hotline at www.socialsecurity.gov/
oig/hotline or call 1-800-269-0271
(TTY 1-866-501-2101).
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How can I get more information
about the one-time economic
recovery payment?
If you are a Social Security or SSI
beneficiary, visit www.socialsecurity.gov.
If you are not a Social Security or SSI
beneficiary and receive only Railroad
Retirement or Veterans benefits:
• You can visit the Railroad Retirement
Board (RRB) at www.rrb.gov or call
1-877-772-5772 (1-877-RRB-5RRB;
TTY 1-312-751-4701) for more
information. NOTE: You will receive
your one-time payment from RRB. You
do not have to do anything in order to
receive your payment.
• You can visit the Department of
Veterans Affairs (VA) at www.va.gov
or contact your local VA facility for
more information. NOTE: You will
receive your one-time payment from
VA. You do not have to do anything in
order to receive your payment.
Social Security Administration
SSA Publication No. 05-10519
ICN 470050
Unit of Issue - HD (one hundred)
April 2009
