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March 13, 2008 Advocates are concerned that a number of persons with disabilities who do not usually file a tax return are going to miss out on the cash benefit that the President's Economic Stimulus Plan could bring them. For example, someone on SSI with earned income of $3,000 or more is eligible but may not be aware of this as they are not generally required to file a tax return. The stimulus payment will not count toward or negatively impact any other income-based government benefits, such as Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits, food stamps and other programs. The law authorizing the stimulus payments excludes these payments from being counted as income and excludes them from being counted as resources for two months after their receipt. There is information on this topic, which includes examples of tax filers and specific information for individuals with disabilities. You can also visit the IRS website on this. Technical assistance questions involving disability may be directed to Judy Stengel, Email Jstengel@ndi-inc.org, a parent and retired IRS employee who is an expert now working at the National Disability Institute in Washington, DC. Item submitted by Jenifer Simpson, AAPD.
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