TP is precious indeed!

Note: Many of our adult children receive Supplemental Security Income, SSI. We've been wondering if they would be included in the COVID economic impact payments. Below is an announcement from Social Security Commissioner Andrew Saul that is hopeful. It looks like The Treasury department may be issuing checks to SSI recipients and that the dollars will not count against the minimal amounts of money they are allowed to have.  My expenses have increased during quarantine. Utilities, certainly food, because we're in the house all day, every day. 
SSI doesn't support anyone fully, as we know. It nets out to $4.89 an hour, if working a 40 hour week. SNAP food payments for  a single head of household net out to $2.25 per meal for a month.  Not exactly a happy meal, is it? Usually it's parents who are subsidizing their adult children.  We pay for food, shelter, clothing, extras, everything beyond what SSI pays. In my case, and perhaps in many of our readers' cases, I subsidize all three of my daughters by myself.  I know single Dads who do the same. And there are widows in our community who have had to find a way forward without the breadwinner.  None of this is easy, even for two income families. Autism is expensive. Forever. My ex-husband has paid zero dollars to support Mia or Gianna since the divorce in 2017. They were over 18 at the time. He paid child support to Bella until her 18th birthday in 2018. He does not voluntarily provide any financial support. Not. A. Dime. (Snark alert - his lady friend is quite generous and buys them Christmas gifts of very nice clothing and even Ugg boots!!  And not to sound ungrateful, but to be honest, Uggs are difficult to season properly, even with tenderizer.) Commenter Aimee D asked a good question. What about families who have a deduction for the adult disabled children on their own taxes? There are still many questions and we might never know until a check arrives. Or doesn't. But if the rest of the nation gets help - whether you approve of the assistance or not - it seems a sin to exclude adults on SSI. Stay well friends.

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From Commissioner Saul:

“I want to provide an update to people who receive benefits from the Social Security Administration.

The Department of the Treasury (Treasury) announced on April 1 that Social Security beneficiaries who are not typically required to file tax returns will not need to file an abbreviated tax return to receive an economic impact payment. The IRS will use the information on the Form SSA-1099 to generate $1,200 economic impact payments to Social Security beneficiaries who did not file tax returns in 2018 or 2019.

Treasury, not Social Security, will make automatic payments to Social Security beneficiaries. Beneficiaries will receive these payments by direct deposit or by paper check, just as they would normally receive their Social Security benefits.

For updates from the IRS, visit www.irs.gov/coronavirus.

Note for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Recipients:

We are working closely with Treasury to address outstanding questions about our SSI recipients in an attempt to make the issuance of economic impact payments as quick and efficient as possible. We realize people are concerned, and the IRS will provide additional information at www.irs.gov/coronavirus when available. Please note that we will not consider economic impact payments as income for SSI recipients, and the payments are excluded from resources for 12 months.

We will continue to update Social Security’s COVID-19 web page at www.socialsecurity.gov/coronavirus/ as further details become available.”

To get more Social Security news, follow the Press Office on Twitter @SSAPress.

Lisa Wallace, Public Affairs Specialist

Social Security Administration

Charlotte, NC