Congress hasn’t yet agreed who’ll be eligible to receive a second stimulus check, but it’s expected that more people will be included the second time around.
Sarah Tew/CNET
There’s still hope that a second stimulus check will eventually come out of finalizing negotiations for an overarching stimulus bill or happen if a new executive action authorizes another round of stimulus money. If it happens, what are your chances of getting paid?
The answer hinges on factors like your income and the number of dependents you can claim, in addition to a range of rules and exceptions that could affect your ability to qualify for another stimulus check, if one is authorized. (Note: 9 million people who qualified for the first check can still get it.)
One demographic left out of the first stimulus payment could be eligible to contribute to an even larger sum for family groups — see below for more details. CNET’s stimulus check calculator can also provide an estimate of the size of your potential payday. This story updates often.
Stimulus check eligibility: Where requirements stand now
We won’t know for certain who will qualify for a new stimulus payment until Congress passes the legislation. We can, however, draw from the first stimulus check’s eligibility requirements and the Heroes Act and HEALS Act proposals (neither of which is law) to get an idea of who may or may not get a second check, including a few unexpected qualifiers below.
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 both proposals | |
| Head of household | An AGI of less than $146,500, under both proposals | |
| Couple filing jointly | An AGI less than $198,000, under both proposals | |
| Dependents of any age | No dependents limit specified, under HEALS Act | Up to 3 dependents, under Heroes Act |
| Noncitizens who pay taxes | Under Heroes Act | |
| Incarcerated people | Under CARES Act | |
| Owe child support | CARES Act excludes those who owe child support. Heroes Act includes them | |
| US citizen living abroad | Included under CARES Act | |
| Live in US territory | Under CARES Act, payments handled by each territory’s tax authority | |
| SSDI recipients | Included under CARES Act | |
| Tax nonfilers | Included under CARES Act |
The rules over dependents could change in a big way
While the initial payments authorized under the CARES Act included $500 for dependents aged 16 and younger, the HEALS and Heroes Act would both loop in any dependent, regardless of age, including college students and adult dependents. (Here’s the youngest you can be to qualify for your own stimulus check.)
The Democratic plan would extend $1,200 each, for up to three dependents, so a family of five people could receive a maximum of $6,000. The Republican plan would provide $500 for each dependent you claim on your taxes, but the HEALS Act doesn’t specify a cap on the number of dependents.
Nonfilers could qualify — what we know
Those who weren’t required to file a federal income tax return in either 2018 or 2019 could still be eligible for a stimulus check under the CARES Act. If that guideline doesn’t change for a second stimulus check, this group would qualify again. Here are reasons you might not have been required to file:
- You’re over 24, not claimed as a dependent and your income is less than $12,200
- You’re married filing jointly and together your income is less than $24,400
- You have no income
- You receive federal benefits, such as Social Security or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). See below for more on SSDI.
With the first stimulus check, nonfilers needed to provide the IRS with some information before they could receive their checks. The IRS is reaching out to 9 million Americans who may fall in this category but have not requested their payment to notify them they may be due a payment.
SSDI recipients and stimulus checks
Those who are part of the Social Security Disability Insurance program also qualify for a check under the CARES Act. Recipients would not receive their payments through their Direct Express card, which the government usually uses to distribute federal benefits, but through a non-Direct Express bank account or through a paper check. SSDI recipients also need to use the IRS’ Non-Filers tool to request a payment for themselves and dependents.
Who the first stimulus payment skipped
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.
- People who are incarcerated.
- People who died since the previous tax filing. (Their families may not collect on their behalf and are expected to return the payment.)
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.