Second stimulus check update: Will it happen, and when? Here’s the status today

Will you get a second stimulus check in 2020? That depends on the state of the recession when lawmakers decide, and on the government itself. Fresh numbers on Thursday from the Labor Department reveal that 1.5 million people applied for unemployment benefits last week (PDF), marking 13 straight weeks that more than 1 million out of work Americans filed for unemployment for the first time.

The amount of money you get in another round of checks (or not) could also hinge on what the rescue package is worth as a whole. This figure has already drawn fierce debate, with the House proposing $3 trillion, the Senate majority leader seeking a $1 trillion cap and President Donald Trump at suggesting at least $2 trillion in June, according to White House trade advisor Peter Navarro. 

So here’s the magic question: when will decisions be made? Deliberations for a second stimulus check aren’t yet on the agenda, but the causes for a first stimulus check are still at large. The stock market continues to yo-yo, coronavirus cases are soaring in over 20 states and individuals and businesses question how they might get through a second wave of COVID-19.

Read on for a timeline for the second wave of stimulus checks. This story updates frequently with new information and is intended to provide an overview of the situation. If you’re still waiting on the first round, you can track the status of your stimulus check, see some possible reasons why you don’t have a check yet and learn how to report a missing stimulus check to the IRS.

What’s the timeline for Round 2 stimulus checks?

Congress hasn’t set a date for a vote on a second stimulus package, but Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said the Senate may wait till the end of July to start work on the bill, Bloomberg reported on June 4. And that second relief package could very well be the last.

The Senate timeline to begin work on a second fiscal proposal includes a scheduled two-week recess, CBS News reported, from July 3 until July 17. White House officials also anticipate that the executive branch will work on its own proposal through July, according to The Wall Street Journal. 

Before White House and Republican leaders begin negotiating the details of a new stimulus proposal, they want to evaluate how much money allocated to the first stimulus checks and other aid for businesses has actually been spent, CNBC reported.

It’s unknown if calls for police reform as part of the protests sweeping the globe in response to the death of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery will affect the government’s agenda.

When the Senate, House and White House negotiators do begin negotiations, they’ll be under pressure to reach a deal quickly, as the enhanced unemployment allowances for an additional $600 per month are set to expire July 31. 

Do we still need a second stimulus check? The unemployment debate heats up

Is a second stimulus check necessary? That question is at the heart of this debate.

Back in April, 82% of survey respondents said a one-time payment of $1,200 wouldn’t be enough, preferring a monthly payment through the end of the crisis. And a poll of over 6,000 Americans taken in May revealed that 30% had spent their stimulus check on household bills, indicating that the pandemic’s effects are taking a financial toll.

“This direct support can make a critical difference not just in helping families and businesses in a time of need, but also in limiting long-lasting damage to our economy,” said Chair of the Federal Reserve Jerome Powell in remarks before the Senate Banking Committee on June 16.

On the “yes” side, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in Senate testimony this month that the US economy may need more help. “I think we’re going to seriously look at whether we want to do more direct money to stimulate the economy,” he said. “This is all going to be about getting people back to work.” 

For those looking for signs that the US economy is already recovering without the need for a second boost, the US unemployment rate appears to be improving (PDF), or at least getting less dire. New jobless claims dropped slightly by 58,000 to 1.5 million for the week of June 13, the Labor Department reported (PDF), as more businesses reopen and re-employ hospitality, service and construction workers. 

On June 5, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported (PDF) that the US unemployment rate in May declined by 1.4% to 13.3%. Following the labor report, some in Washington asked if the US economy is already heading in the right direction without further government assistance. 

“It takes a lot of the wind out of the sails of any Phase 4,” Stephen Moore, a White House adviser, said about the job numbers and a second stimulus package, as quoted in The Washington Post. “We don’t need it now. There’s no reason to have a major spending bill. The sense of urgent crisis is very greatly dissipated by the report.”

Others in Washington caution against reading too much into one month’s unemployment numbers. A new report from the OECD this month says COVID-19 has “triggered the most severe economic recession in nearly a century.” 

“There is good reason to be skeptical,” wrote former White House economic adviser Robert J. Shapiro, pointing to other numbers that suggest the jobless rate in May rose by 5.7% to 19%. Whatever the real May jobless numbers turn out to be, the US economy in February entered a recession, ending an economic expansion that started in June 2009, the National Bureau of Economic Research reported this month. 

Even with a reduced May unemployment rate, the US still has one of the highest rates of out-of-work job-seekers in the world, according to the OECD report.

It’s also unknown how the US economy will react to a spike in coronavirus infections, with US cases soaring in some states as they reopen.

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How much money could you get in a second stimulus check?

It’s too soon to pinpoint how much money individuals and families could receive. The final dollar amount will depend on how much money goes into the entire stimulus bill. Remember that the CARES Act that passed in March also included money for small businesses and enhanced unemployment benefits (which expire July 31). Even if a second stimulus check gets approved, the total you might receive depends on the size of the second rescue package and how much of that total is allocated to individual checks.

For reference, the first stimulus check gave individuals up to $1,200 with a total of $2,400 for couples who file for taxes jointly. Dependents under 17 years old netted another $500 apiece. Here’s a snapshot of who’s eligible for the first check, based on how you file for taxes:

• Single US residents who have an adjusted gross income less than $99,000
• Heads of a household and earn under $146,500
• Couples that file jointly without children and earn less than $198,000

Nonresident people who aren’t citizens (termed nonresident aliens) and people who are currently incarcerated did not qualify for the first stimulus check.

Is the IRS done sending the first wave of stimulus checks?

While it’s already made tens of millions of stimulus payments to eligible Americans, the IRS has more to go. As of June 3, the agency had made 120 million payments as direct deposit to bank accounts, 35 million as mailed checks and nearly 4 million as mailed prepaid debit cards, for 159 million payments total. The House Ways and Means Committee estimated (PDF) as many as 35 million Americans could still be owed a payment.

If you didn’t get your money yet, here are 10 possible reasons for a delay. If you’re worried you were supposed to receive your check and didn’t, here’s what you can do. 

What will it take to get a second stimulus check and what happens now?

For now, we wait for July, when Washington plans to begin work on the next stimulus package. To receive a second check, the proposed rescue package would need to pass both the House and the Senate before receiving a signature from the president. Only then could it take effect. After that, the IRS now has a system in place to organize and distribute those checks. But it could be weeks more before you receive a payment.

We’ll continue to update this story with new information as it arises. While the future of a second stimulus bill remains undecided, we’ll share available resources about unemployment insurance, what you can do if you’ve lost your job, what to know about evictions and late car payments and how to take control of your budget.