With negotiations stalled on a new stimulus package and Washington talking instead about a skinny stimulus bill and new USPS funding, what are the chances that lawmakers will approve a second stimulus check for up to $1,200, and who would would qualify for a payment if they do come to an agreement?
Both sides continue to say they want to reach a deal. “Of course we all want the negotiations to continue,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on CNN on Sunday. “But not just what the administration wants but what the country needs.”
“If we are going to be serious about this, let’s get serious about it,” White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows told Fox News on Sunday about talks on ddditional stimulus funding.
With so much up in the air, there is no guarantee that if you met the requirements for the first stimulus check, you would automatically qualify for another direct payment, if there is one. As part of the talks, at least one demographic that didn’t qualify for the first round of payments could be included in a second check.
Here’s everything we know about stimulus check qualifications the moment, including new ways that dependents could play into the mix, and who is unlikely to receive a direct payment. This story is updated regularly.
Second stimulus check: Possible requirements
While we won’t know for certain who will qualify for a new stimulus payment until legislation is passed, we can draw from the first stimulus check’s eligibility requirements to get an idea of who may or may not get a second check, including the income limits and number of dependents.
Both Republicans and Democrats are using adjusted gross income, or AGI, to determine the payment amount for individuals and families, which would cap at $1,200 for individuals and $2,400 for married couples.
Who might qualify for the next stimulus check
Qualifying group | Likely to be in final bill | Unlikely to be in final bill |
---|---|---|
Individual | An AGI of less than $99,000, under all proposals | – |
Head of household | An AGI of less than $146,500, under all proposals | – |
Couple filing jointly income | An AGI less than $198,000, under all proposals | – |
Dependents of any age | No dependents limit specified, under HEALS Act | Up to three dependents, under Heroes Act |
Noncitizens who pay taxes | – | Suggested in the Heroes Act, which was not taken up by the Senate |
Incarcerated | – | Excluded under CARES Act |
Owe child support | – | The CARES Act excluded this group. The Heroes Act would include them. |
US citizen living aboard | Included under CARES Act | – |
Resident of US territory | Under CARES Act, payments handled by each territory’s tax authority | – |
More dependents might be eligible for a second payment
The CARES Act took a narrow approach to defining a dependent and allowed a $500 payment only for a child age 16 or younger in the family. The HEALS and Heroes Acts both take a broader definition and allow any dependent you claim to qualify for a payment — college students, children over 17, disabled relatives and taxpayers’ parents.
The Democratic plan as outlined in the Heroes Act would cover $1,200 each, for up to three dependents, so a family of five people could receive a maximum of $6,000. We don’t think this is a likely outcome in the final bill, considering the Senate has not addressed it.
Like the CARES Act, the Republican plan outlined in the HEALS Act would provide $500 for each dependent, but doesn’t specify a cap on the number of dependents.
Who didn’t receive the first stimulus check
For the payments authorized under the CARES Act, which became law in March, these groups were excluded:
- Single taxpayers with an AGI over $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 Congress decide on stimulus check requirements?
Right now, the timeline for discussions is up in the air. Talks between Republican and Democratic negotiators on the new stimulus package stalled, but the two sides have signaled they are willing to pick up the debate. The Senate is on break until after Labor Day and the House after passing USPS funding having nothing scheduled, so the chances of a deal in August seem unlikely, but an agreement in September is now in the picture. After the sides reach a deal, the stimulus bill won’t take effect until the president signs it into law.
While we won’t know for sure until the two sides come together on the next stimulus package, we have a good idea of when a check could be sent if a new bill passes.
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.
Shelby Brown contributed to this report.