How soon could your second stimulus check come? We lay out some possible dates, from when the bill is passed to when your money could actually arrive.
James Martin/CNET
Now that talks to pass new coronavirus relief legislation with a second stimulus payment have resumed, we can predict when eligible Americans may receive direct payments. If a new stimulus check is authorized, the priority group that you’re a part of and how fast the IRS can start sending out payments in general will determine how long it takes. (Here are some more important stimulus payment facts.)
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi directed House Democrats to bring a new relief proposal that includes another stimulus check and other aid for airlines and restaurants to a vote as early as this week. She has also resumed talks with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.
“We’re in a negotiation, and hopefully we’ll come to a bipartisan agreement that will remove all doubt that the legislation will pass and be signed by the President,” Pelosi said on MSNBC Tuesday.
CNET’s stimulus calculator can give you an estimate of how much you might qualify for — read on to learn some potential timelines for when you might receive a new stimulus payment. We update this story frequently.
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Next stimulus checks: What to expect
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When the IRS might possibly send the first checks to each group
When and if another stimulus check happens, Mnuchin has said it would take about a week to orchestrate the first payments. “I can get out 50 million payments really quickly. A lot of it into people’s direct accounts,” he said.
We’ve speculated potential dates based on calendars from the House of Representatives and the Senate, and also based on Pelosi’s vow to keep her chamber in session until a deal is reached. Not every person will get their check at the same time — keep reading below for how the different priority groups shake out.
Possible dates a second stimulus check could go out
| Scenario 1 | Scenario 2 | Scenario 3 | Scenario 4 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| House passes final bill | Oct. 2 | Oct. 9 | Dec. 1 | Dec. 7 |
| Senate passes final bill | Oct. 5 | Oct. 13 | Dec. 2 | Dec. 8 |
| President signs | Oct. 6 | Oct. 14 | Dec. 3 | Dec. 9 |
| First direct deposit sent | Week of Oct. 12 | Week of Oct. 19 | Week of Dec. 7 | Week of Dec. 14 |
| First paper checks sent | Week of Oct. 19 | Week of Oct. 26 | Week of Dec. 14 | Week of Dec. 21 |
| First EIP cards sent | Week of Nov. 9 | Week of Nov. 16 | Week of Jan. 11 | Week of Jan. 18 |
What’s the deal with payment groups?
The IRS has so far sent money to at least 160 million people three different ways, starting with people who filed for direct deposit. Some people with more complicated scenarios are in fact still waiting for their checks or even for catch-up payments. This shakes out into a de facto priority order that could lead some to receive their checks days or even weeks sooner than others. We expect the IRS would keep roughly the same system for sending out the second stimulus check.
Direct deposit is fastest: People who already have their direct deposit information on file with the IRS or do so when and if registration opens again should be first in line to receive their stimulus check. An electronic transfer of funds is faster and more efficient, which is why this group largely got their first check faster.
Social Security beneficiaries: With the first stimulus payment, many Social Security beneficiaries who had direct deposit information on file with the federal government received their checks in the first week, though not always the first day.
People who get paper checks: The IRS began to mail these about a week later to people without direct deposit data on file.
EIP card recipients: Economic Impact Payment debit cards are prepaid Visa cards that the IRS sent to around 4 million people starting in mid-May. If the IRS follows the same payment priority order, this group could begin to see their checks weeks after the first direct deposit transfers go out.
Last group: Anyone who received their checks after June, is still waiting to receive their stimulus payment or did not know they need to fill out an extra step. Direct payments will continue through the end of 2020 for some individuals who were not part of the previous groups. Here’s what could be holding up the stimulus check delivery for some and how to contact the IRS to report a missing, lost or stolen check.
What’s the longest I could have to wait for another check?
While we expect the bulk of people to get their money sooner, if the first round is any indication, it could still take months for the IRS to send all the checks. Six months after the first stimulus payments went out, the federal agency is still trying to track down millions of people who may be owed money.
And even with the experience of processing roughly 160 million payments in the IRS’ back pocket, some would probably need to clear a few hurdles to receive their money. Here are common bumps that held up the first stimulus check for some.
There’s hope that the IRS could speed up delivery of a second check, if it’s authorized.
Angela Lang/CNET
These things may delay your check from arriving faster
We won’t know details unless, or until, a new bill passes and the IRS gears up to send another round of checks, but here are sticking points to watch for.
Changes to aid for dependents: If Congress expands or narrows the definition of a dependent in the next bill, it could require the IRS to adjust its accounting system. That may potentially slow processing your payment. Calculate how much you get if the rules change to include more people as eligible dependents.
Banking status: If your banking status changes, it could hold up receipt of your payment. Banking status disproportionately impacted Black Americans and other people of color, according to an analysis by the think tank Urban Institute. People who identify as white and whose incomes were above the poverty line were more likely to have received their first stimulus check by the end of May than people who identify as Black, Hispanic or below the poverty line, the analysis found.
Nonfilers need to take an extra step: People who earn below the threshold to be required to file federal income tax returns in 2018 or 2019 also would not get a stimulus check unless they completed an online form for the IRS. This group includes low-income families with children and a far greater number of Black people and people of color. Over 9 million people have until Oct. 15 to claim their checks.
A few more resources to help
If you’re still waiting on the first round of payments, you can track the status of your stimulus check, learn how to report your no-show check to the IRS and find possible reasons why your stimulus check still hasn’t arrived.
And here are resources about coronavirus hardship loans and unemployment insurance, what you can do if you’ve lost your job, what to know about evictions and late car payments, if you could receive two refund checks from the IRS and how to take control of your budget.