Many are happy for the additional cash to help them combat the impact of the coronavirus as the first round of stimulus payments continue to roll out. However, there have been several glitches and the latest one is the most puzzling. While those who are alive and in need continue to wait for their funds, several have reported that dead people are receiving stimulus checks.
Over 80 million Americans have received their stimulus payments so far, with more payments set to be paid out in the coming weeks—however, some of those payments sent out will never actually be received because they were paid to people who have passed away. If you’ll recall, the first wave of stimulus payments were sent directly to those who filed tax returns in 2018 and 2019…but many of those people have since passed away and the government didn’t realize it.
Multiple reports of deceased people getting stimulus checks initially began earlier this month, when surviving spouses or those with bank accounts still open proceeded to settle the estates of family members who have died. Despite the fact that these deaths were reported, apparently the IRS didn’t check the death records before approving payments. Reportedly, this is because of the gaps in the payment process and also the delays in reporting deaths to the U.S. Treasury Department.
If you’re wondering what happens to the money that was sent to those who have died—well there doesn’t seem to be a clear answer. Donald Trump recently said, “Sometimes you send a check to somebody wrong…we’ll get that back.”
However, some legal experts think otherwise and the IRS has responded to the payment glitches, saying, “We are aware of all the various issues involving surviving spouses and other heirs and are still working on them.”
