What to Do if You Still Haven't Gotten Your Stimulus Check

About 130 million people have already received economic impact payments, but millions of people are still waiting to receive their checks.

The payments, as outlined in the stimulus package titled the CARES Act, are intended to stimulate the economy and help those who have been financially impacted by the new coronavirus pandemic. Full payments for individuals started at $1,200 to $2,400 for joint filers—and people began to see the money deposited into their accounts in April.

The IRS encouraged anyone who is still wondering where their payment is to visit the Economic Impact Payment Information Center on its website. The most common questions can be answered on the IRS' website, according to the IRS, but people also have the option to call 800-919-9835 to speak to a person.

When calling, a person will receive an automated message but those who need additional assistance will have the option of speaking with a telephone representative. While the IRS is adding 3,5000 telephone representatives to answer questions, at a time when millions of people may have questions, calling may be a time-consuming process.

One reason a person may have yet to receive their money is that the payment is being sent in the mail. If a person didn't provide direct deposit banking information when they filed their 2018 or 2019 tax return or input the information through the Get My Payment page on the IRS website before the May 13 deadline, the IRS will be sending them a check or prepaid debit card. Mailed payments started to arrive in May and will continue, according to the IRS.

It's possible a person provided their direct deposit information but is still set to receive a payment in the mail. This is the case for those whose payment was already in process before bank information was entered or if the bank rejected the deposit because the information was invalid or the account was closed.

In those instances, the IRS will mail the payment to the address on file and the mailing date will be updated on the Get My Payment page. Once the payment is mailed, it can take up to 14 days for a person to receive it.

There are multiple other reasons a person may have yet to receive a payment, including that they're being claimed as a dependent on someone else's return or their immigration status makes them ineligible. A person may also earn too much money to be eligible for a payment.

To be eligible for any economic impact payment, an individual must have earned an adjusted gross income of up to $99,000. Those who file as head of household can receive a payment if they received up to $136,500 in adjusted gross income and income caps at $198,000 for joint filers.