by Disability Linkage Line
Staff
Will the economic stimulus payments I receive affect my medical,
cash or food benefits?
Starting May of 2008 people will begin receiving economic stimulus
payments. The payment you receive will not be counted as income the
month you receive it and the following two months when determining
benefits. So Payments received in May will not be seen as income
in May, June or July, but come August if you still have the money
it will be seen as income.
What do I have to do to receive
a payment?
To receive a payment, taxpayers
must have a valid Social Security number, at least $3,000 of income
and file a 2007 federal tax return.
I didn’t file
a tax return in 2007. Does that mean I will not get the rebate?
The
only way to get this rebate is to file a federal tax return for 2007.
Even if you don’t usually file a tax return because you
don’t earn enough, you will still need to file a 2007 tax return
in order to receive the economic stimulus check. This includes people
who are low income and receive Social Security benefits, Supplemental
Security Income (SSI), Department of Veterans Affairs benefits and
certain Railroad Retirement benefits. If the Internal Revenue Service
(IRS) does not receive this tax return by October 15, 2008, no economic
stimulus payment can be made. Once the tax return has been filed,
the IRS will calculate the amount of the economic stimulus payment
due and issue the payment by check or direct deposit.
Can I still get help
filing my taxes?
Yes. Even though April
15th has passed, there is still time for people who do not normally
do so to file their taxes to qualify for the payment. The IRS has
set up a free service to help. You can find companies who have
agreed to help you file at no cost by going online at www.IRS.gov
and click on Free File. If you do not have internet access, feel
free to call Disability Linkage Line (DLL) at 1-866-333-2466 and
they will help you find free help. ![]()
If you have additional questions
about community resources, please call DLL at 1-866-333-2466. DLL
provides free, disability-related information and assistance for
Minnesotans. DLL does not endorse any particular Web site or provider.
They assume no responsibility for transactions between the readers
of this article and listed orgs.
