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Hirono urges Social Security beneficiaries with children to file for relief payments before deadline

ASSOCIATED PRESS
                                Senate Judiciary Committee ranking member Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, listened to witnesses during a Senate Judiciary Committee nominations hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, in June 2019. Hirono is urging Social Security beneficiaries and others who do not file taxes but have qualifying dependent children to apply for their direct cash COVID-19 relief payments before a Wednesday morning deadline set by the Internal Revenue Service.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Senate Judiciary Committee ranking member Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, listened to witnesses during a Senate Judiciary Committee nominations hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, in June 2019. Hirono is urging Social Security beneficiaries and others who do not file taxes but have qualifying dependent children to apply for their direct cash COVID-19 relief payments before a Wednesday morning deadline set by the Internal Revenue Service.

Hawaii U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono is urging Social Security beneficiaries and others who do not file taxes but have qualifying dependent children to apply for their direct cash COVID-19 relief payments before a Wednesday morning deadline set by the Internal Revenue Service.

Hirono said she has worked with her senate colleagues to ensure that people who do not normally file taxes — including Social Security retiree and disability beneficiaries, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients and Veterans Affairs (VA) beneficiaries — automatically receive their direct payments from the IRS.

However, those beneficiaries who have dependent children still need to provide their information to the IRS before they can receive additional payments for eligible children. Beneficiaries are “encouraged” to provide their information before Wednesday to avoid delays in receiving their additional payments, according to a statement from Hirono’s office released this morning.

The IRS payments are generally $1,200 per adult and $500 per child, although some adults who are listed as dependents on their parents’ or others’ tax returns are excluded and will receive no payments.

The deadline to file with the IRS so that payments for children will be automatically included in the COVID relief payments is Wednesday at 6 a.m. Hawaii time, according to Hirono. The IRS website provides instructions on how to apply to combine the payments at https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus/non-filers-enter-payment-info-here.

The IRS only notified the public of the filing requirement for recipients with dependents late Monday, according to Hirono.

“As we continue working to make sure all those eligible for direct payments receive this assistance, I urge those with qualifying dependent children to apply for these payments as soon as possible,” Hirono said in her statement. “Hawaii residents and families who need economic relief from the financial toll of coronavirus can provide their information online.”

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