When will your next stimulus check arrive? The 4 key things to know

When it comes to your second stimulus check, the bad news is, it’s too early to circle a date on the calendar. That’s because there are too many unknown factors to pin down. For example, we don’t know when Congress will bring a proposal that contains another direct payment to a vote. We also can’t say for certain how quickly the IRS could move to set up the first wave of payments or which of the five total waves of payments you’re personally in. And yes, it makes a big difference.

The good news is that we have enough information to make some educated guesses, including a handy chart with potential dates you could see a check, depending on what happens in Washington. The condensed version is that it’s more likely any bill passed in December will exclude a second stimulus check, but a larger bill in 2021 would have a better chance of including a direct payment for a $1,200 per person maximum. (Here’s the current calculation.)

Here, we’ll go over those three main variables standing between you and the next stimulus check for qualified adults and their dependents. Note that some people may see a smaller check than before and others won’t be eligible to get a second direct payment at all. 

This story updates often with new information.

When will the new stimulus bill come to a vote? 

While the date to vote on a package has been a moving target for months, top leaders are now looking to complete their business by Dec. 11. That means lawmakers will have to move fast to put together a final bill. Since we can’t officially rule out another stimulus check yet — negotiations on the details of the newest proposal haven’t yet begun — you’ll see that possibility reflected in Scenario 1 in the chart below.

“We’re in the middle of drafting as we speak, and so … Monday is kind of the goal,” Rep. Tom Reed, who is a co-chair of the Problem Solvers Caucus, said on Friday. “This is about making sure that the money is allocated to those that are most in need.”

With Congress under a deadline to pass a new federal budget by Dec. 11, the Senate may also try to attach more economic aid to a government funding bill.

After President-elect Joe Biden becomes US president on Jan. 20, the new administration could try again for a larger bill that could include another direct payment. That would mean a check would likely go out in February at the earliest. See the chart below for possible dates. (Here are separate stimulus measures Biden could take if there’s no stimulus bill by inauguration).

Read more: How big will your next stimulus check be? Calculate your estimate

How fast could the IRS deliver another stimulus payment?

In August, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said it would take about a week from the time that another direct payment is approved to the time the IRS could process the first batch. 

“I can get out 50 million payments really quickly. A lot of it into people’s direct accounts,” Mnuchin said then. 

If a check doesn’t arrive until 2021, there will be a new Treasury secretary — it isn’t clear if a transition of power would cause a delay in sending out money. Biden has selected Janet Yellen, the previous chair of the US Federal Reserve, for the Treasury position, though she would need to be confirmed by the Senate before taking office.

Even if the checks were to go out faster the second time by following the existing IRS protocol from the first payment, that doesn’t necessarily mean your stimulus money would arrive a week after a bill went live. The following section explains more.

Which date could my second stimulus check arrive?

Here’s one stimulus check truth of many: Not everyone will get a payment at the same time. With the first check, the IRS divided stimulus payments into three main groups depending on the form in which you received the money. We explain more in the next section.

In the chart below, these speculative dates show when you might see a payment. The second scenario is possible if the House and Senate are called back to vote and the session officially extended. We also sketched out two timelines if a bill becomes law after Biden’s Inauguration Day on Jan. 20 to give you an idea of how long you might have to wait.

Possible dates a second stimulus check could go out

	Scenario 1	Scenario 2	Scenario 3	Scenario 4
House passes final bill	Dec. 9	Feb. 1	March 1	April 5
Senate passes final bill	Dec. 10	Feb. 2	March 2	April 6
President signs	Dec. 11	Feb. 3	March 3	April 7
First direct deposits issued	Week of Dec. 14	Week of Feb. 8	Week of March 8	Week of April 12
First paper checks sent	Week of Dec. 21	Week of Feb. 16 (Feb. 15 is President’s Day)	Week of March 15	Week of April 19
First EIP cards sent	Week of Jan. 18	Week of March 15	Week of April 12	Week of May 10

EIP card? Check? What these different groups mean

The three groups you see above are just the beginning. They represent the IRS’ staggered timeline for sending out payments with the first stimulus check. We dive more into the five stimulus check payment priority groups here.