Disaster Financial Assistance with Food, Housing, and Bills
During the coronavirus pandemic, you may qualify for additional help with food and bills. Learn about mortgage and rental relief. And find out how the CARES Act and other stimulus packages can help your family
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Stimulus Checks for Individuals
NEW: The IRS is distributing $600 Economic Impact stimulus payments for qualifying individuals, as part of the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021. You do not need to do anything to receive your payment.
Check the status of your Economic Impact payment from the IRS using the Get My Payment application.
Read frequently asked questions about who qualifies, how and where you’ll receive your payment, and more.
- The IRS began issuing direct deposits and mailing paper stimulus checks on December 30, 2020 and will continue through January 2021.
- You may instead receive your payment on a prepaid debit card. Watch your mail for an Economic Impact Payment Card (EIP Card).
Information on the Previous CARES Act Stimulus Checks, April 2020
This information applies only to CARES Act payments, distributed during the spring of 2020.
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued one-time stimulus checks for most individuals who qualified for them. These payments were authorized under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act signed on March 27, 2020.
Learn About Stimulus Payments Sent Via Prepaid Card
The Treasury Department announced on May 18 that almost four million stimulus payments will go out as prepaid Visa debit cards. Watch this Economic Impact Payment Prepaid Cards video to learn about activating and using the card.
Payments Made to People Who Have Died Must Be Returned
If a stimulus check arrives for someone who has died, you must return it to the IRS.
Nursing Homes and Care Facilities Cannot Claim Residents’ Stimulus Payments
According to the IRS, your stimulus check belongs to you, even if:
Check Payment Status or Provide Direct Deposit Information to the IRS
Go to the IRS page Get My Payment to check your payment’s status. For more information on what the payment status codes mean, see the IRS stimulus payment information center.
In some cases, you can also enter your direct deposit information in the Get My Payment tool. For help, see the questions and answers about entering banking information into the tool. You can also check the "Update your bank account or mailing address" section on the Economic Impact Payments page.
Most People Don’t Need to Do Anything to Get Their Stimulus Check
You will not have to do anything to receive your payment by direct deposit or check if:
Income Eligibility for Coronavirus Stimulus Checks
Individuals, including Social Security recipients, earning $75,000 or less will receive a $1,200 payment.
Married couples filing joint returns with incomes of $150,000 or less will receive a $2,400 payment.
People with incomes higher than those levels will receive partial payments. Individuals earning more than $99,000 and couples earning more than $198,000 will not receive any payment, unless they have children.
Parents of qualifying children will get a one-time payment of $500 per child.
Previous CARES Act Non Tax-Filers Who Didn't Provide Stimulus Payment Information to the IRS by October 15 May Be Able to Receive Payment in 2021
Some people who weren’t required to file a tax return had to provide basic information to the IRS to get their CARES Act check. These included very low-income workers and some veterans. If you were in this category and you submitted your information by October 15, 2020, you should receive your payment by the end of the year.
If You Missed the October 15 Deadline, You May Be Eligible For the Payment in 2021
If you didn't get a payment in 2020, or if you received less than the full amount you were entitled to, such as $500 for each qualifying child, you may be able to get the difference in 2021. See the IRS information for filing for the CARES Act stimulus payment in 2021.
Coronavirus Rental Assistance and Eviction Moratorium
If you've experienced job loss because of the coronavirus pandemic, you may qualify for rental assistance through your state HUD program. And a federal eviction moratorium from the CDC, extended through January 31, 2021, may help you stay in your home if you can't pay your rent.
Get Rental Assistance During the Coronavirus Pandemic
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is helping renters during the coronavirus pandemic by making rental assistance available through state HUD offices. To find out if you qualify:
Learn About the Moratorium on Evictions During the Coronavirus Pandemic
If you're unable to pay your rent because of job loss or financial problems related to the coronavirus pandemic, you may be able to benefit from a ban on evictions from rental housing. The ban was ordered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It began on September 4, 2020, and has been extended through January 31, 2021.
If you’re facing eviction, use this CDC declaration form to communicate your situation to your landlord.
The CDC form lists several conditions that you must agree are true:
You've tried to get government rent or housing assistance
You either:
Expect to earn no more than $99,000 in the calendar year 2020-2021 ($198,000 if you’re a couple filing jointly)
Didn't have to report any income to the Internal Revenue Service in 2019
Received a coronavirus stimulus payment
You can't pay your full rent due to significantly reduced income or large medical bills
You're paying as much toward your rent as you can
If evicted you'd become homeless or have to move in with other people in close quarters
You understand that at the end of the ban, the landlord can evict you if you don't pay all rent owed
Keep in mind, this is not rental forgiveness. You will still owe rent to your landlord and you can be evicted during this time for reasons other than not paying your rent.
Food Stamps and Meal Programs During the Coronavirus Pandemic
You may now have an easier time getting food through government meal programs. During the coronavirus pandemic:
People can enroll in food programs remotely rather than in person. This applies to programs for pregnant women, families, seniors, and people with disabilities.
Read about these and other government meal program adjustments during the coronavirus pandemic. To enroll or get other information:
For more information on school meals, check your child's school or school district website.
Temporary Mortgage Relief Due to Coronavirus Pandemic
If you’ve been affected financially by the coronavirus pandemic and you own a single-family home with a federally backed or FHA-insured mortgage, you can request mortgage forbearance, a pause in making mortgage payments.
Learn the steps to take and questions to ask if you need mortgage forbearance from your lender.
Deadlines for Federally Backed Mortgage Foreclosures
Lenders and loan servicers may not foreclose on federally backed loans until after February 28, 2021.
Lenders cannot foreclose on loans backed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac until after January 31, 2021.
What Your Loan Servicer Must Do If You Request Forbearance
If you're having trouble making payments on your federally backed mortgage because of the coronavirus pandemic, contact your loan servicer before February 28, 2021 if you have a federally backed loan. Your loan servicer must:
Defer or reduce your payments for 180 days if you contact them to make arrangements
Give you another 180 days of mortgage relief at your request
Offer options for how you can make up the deferred or reduced payments. They will discuss these options with you at the end of your forbearance period.
Find Your Loan Servicer
If you don't know whether your mortgage is federally backed, see a list of federal agencies that provide or insure mortgages. You can also check the Fannie Mae loan lookup and the Freddie Mac loan lookup to see if either one owns or backs your mortgage. Together, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac own nearly half of all mortgages in the U.S.
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Last Updated:
January 13, 2021
