If you have not received your Economic Impact Payment (federal stimulus check), you are not alone. About 160,000 Louisianans have not received their stimulus checks. You may not have automatically received your stimulus check earlier in the year because you were not required to file a federal tax return, due to low household income.
These stimulus checks were authorized by Congress with the CARES Act. You may be eligible for a payment of up to $1,200 for individuals and $2,400 for married couples filing jointly, in addition to $500 per qualifying child. If you have not received your payment, you must provide your information to the IRS by filing either a 2019 tax return no later than October 15, 2020, or a simplified online form called the IRS “Non-Filer” tool no later than November 21, 2020.
Applying for and receiving this stimulus payment will not affect your eligibility for assistance programs like Medicaid or SNAP.
Read the Frequently Asked Questions below for more information.
Congress authorized one-time payments to individuals and families under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). The money targets low- to middle-income individuals and families to help them with the financial pressures caused by the coronavirus and related economic shutdown. Eligible adults can receive $1,200 each, or $2,400 for a married couple, and $500 per child under 17.
No. The federal stimulus checks, also known as Economic Impact Payments, are not counted as income in determining SNAP or Medicaid eligibility.
For more information about SNAP eligibility, visit http://www.dcfs.louisiana.gov/page/snap-eligibility.
For more information about Medicaid eligibility, visit https://ldh.la.gov/index.cfm/page/220.
No, it’s not too late. Many people did not automatically receive a check (including as many as 300,000 Louisianans) because they were not required to file a federal tax return for 2019 due to low household income. If that’s your situation, you must provide your information to the IRS no later than November 21, 2020, in order to receive your stimulus check.
IMPORTANT NOTE: If you were required to file a federal tax return for 2019, even if you were granted an extension to file it, your deadline for providing information to the IRS to receive a stimulus check is October 15, 2020.
If you have not yet received your payment, you must provide your information to the IRS no later than November 21, 2020, through either a 2019 tax return or a simplified online form called the IRS “Non-Filer” tool.
Only use the “Non-Filer” tool if you are NOT required to file a 2019 tax return. To find out whether you are required to file a tax return, use the IRS “Do I Need to File a Tax Return?” tool at https://www.irs.gov/help/ita/do-i-need-to-file-a-tax-return. (The IRS says if you are required to file a 2019 tax return and use the “Non-Filer” tool to request your stimulus check, it will slow down the processing of your tax return and any refund you may be entitled to receive.)
If you do not need to file a 2019 tax return, you can claim your stimulus check by using the IRS “Non-Filer” tool on the IRS website at https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus/non-filers-enter-payment-info-here.
Only use the “Non-Filer” tool if you are NOT required to file a 2019 tax return. To find out whether you are required to file a tax return, use the IRS’s “Do I Need to File a Tax Return?” tool at https://www.irs.gov/help/ita/do-i-need-to-file-a-tax-return.
If you do not need to file a 2019 tax return, you can claim your stimulus check by using the IRS’s “Non-Filer” tool on the IRS website at https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus/non-filers-enter-payment-info-here.