New stimulus check qualifications? Everything we know about the requirements right now

Lawmakers agree that a second stimulus payment should be part of the next economic rescue package, but that’s where the consensus ends. Unfortunately, the time it takes to reach an agreement will directly affect when you may receive your payment, assuming you’re eligible for more money in the first place.

There are opposing views on the table over who should qualify for another check. On the one hand, the House of Representatives’ Heroes Act, led by Democrats, proposes a far broader set of people receiving stimulus payments, including groups who were bypassed in the March CARES Act. The Republican-backed HEALS Act, on the other hand, lets one key demographic qualify, but mostly follows the CARES Act guidelines.

So who could be included and who left out? And would you get the full $1,200 or not? We looked at the first stimulus payment for guidance about the framework for who may not be included in this second round of checks. Read on for more, and check back on this story for frequent updates as we follow the latest news from Washington.

Here’s who could get a stimulus check under the HEALS Act

The Senate Republicans’ HEALS Act would follow the payment guidelines set out in the CARES Act, with a new adjustment for dependents:

• A single US resident with an adjusted gross income less than $99,000.
• A head of a household earning under $146,500.
• A couple filing jointly without children and earning less than $198,000.
• A dependent of any age. 

In the CARES Act, the cutoff to receive a $500 dependent check was age 16 and younger and college students under 24 were not eligible to receive a check. The Senate proposal would exclude those in prison and people who recently died from qualifying for a check. The bill would also prohibit creditors and banks from seizing the payment to pay debts.

Who qualifies for a new stimulus check under the Democratic plan?

The broadest eligibility parameters suggested so far come from the Heroes Act, which was proposed by the House of Representatives on May 15. Although it’s been fiercely opposed by Senate Republicans and President Donald Trump, we can look to this bill to help frame the conversation about the upper limits of who might qualify in a broad proposal:

• Individuals who made less than $99,000 according to the adjusted gross income from their 2018 or 2019 taxes (whichever was most recently filed).
• College students, dependents over 17, disabled relatives and taxpayers’ parents.
• Families of up to five people.
• SSDI recipients.
• People who aren’t US citizens and do file tax returns, pay taxes and otherwise comply with federal tax law using an individual taxpayer identification number instead of a Social Security number.

Who didn’t get a stimulus check under the CARES Act?

These groups didn’t meet the requirements for the first payment:

• Single taxpayers with an adjusted gross income (AGI) above $99,000.
• Heads of households with an AGI over $136,500.
• Married couples with an AGI over $198,000.
• Children over 16 and college students under age 24.
• Nonresident aliens, as defined by the US government.

When will the eligibility requirements be finalized?

While Republicans and Democrats are now debating the details of the new stimulus package, they are far apart from reaching an agreement. To give negotiators more time to make a deal, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell could push back the start of the upcoming Senate recess in August, which he has done before. After the sides reach an agreement, the stimulus bill won’t take effect until the president signs it into law. 

And while we won’t know for sure until the two sides come together on the next stimulus package, we have a good idea what Congress’ deadline is and when a check could be sent. 

For more, here’s what we know about the major proposals for a second stimulus package. We also have information on unemployment insurance, what you can do if you’ve lost your job, if you could receive two refund checks from the IRS and what to know about evictions.