Still waiting for your stimulus payment? You have until Nov. 21 to claim it

If you are a member of one the 64,000 Philadelphia households that still have not received their stimulus payment, or know someone who hasn’t, there is still time.

According to IRS data cited by the City of Philadelphia, there is approximately $77 million in unclaimed funds for families within the city. They’re among the estimated 9 million Americans who did not receive payments because they have not submitted sufficient information to the federal government, including via 2019 tax filings.

From now until Nov. 21 — extended from October — those who still need to receive their stimulus payments can submit their information with the IRS Non-Filer Tool. Individuals are eligible for up to $1,200 in payments or up to $2,400 for married couples. Parents or caregivers can receive up to $500 for each qualifying child. The maximum available payment for a married family of four is $3,400.

Submit your payment info

“This is money that could help families buy groceries, pay their bills, or reduce their debt,” Mayor Jim Kenney said in a statement. “The deadline to claim the checks is November 21, so we need to get the word out because there are less than two weeks left. Ensuring that every eligible resident receives this money is important not just for the recipients, but for the entire city.”

In order to be eligible, individuals must be U.S. citizens and either permanent or qualifying residents who have a valid Social Security number. Individuals claimed on another person’s taxes or who have earned more than $75,000 single or $150,000 married filing jointly are ineligible.

Stimulus payments will not affect public benefits such as SNAP and will not affect unemployment payments. For help with the Non-Filer Tool, contact a BenePhilly Center (a program of Benefits Data Trust) or call 1-855-FIN-PHIL (1-855-346-7445).

Michael Butler is a 2020-2022 corps member for Report for America, an initiative of The Groundtruth Project that pairs young journalists with local newsrooms. This position is supported by the Lenfest Institute for Journalism.