[NFBNJ] Fwd: [Nfbnet-members-list] Legislative Alert - 12/22/2020

[Linda Melendez]

>From the desk of Ryan Stevens, Legislative Director

National Federation of the Blind of New Jersey

Submitted by Linda Melendez, President National Federation of the Blind of
New Jersey
****
From: Pare, John via NFBNet-Members-List <nfbnet-members-list at nfbnet.org>
Date: Tue, Dec 22, 2020 at 6:10 PM
Subject: [Nfbnet-members-list] Legislative Alert - 12/22/2020
To: nfbnet-members-list at nfbnet.org <nfbnet-members-list at nfbnet.org>

Dear Fellow Federationists:



Late Monday night Congress passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act,
2021. This bill provides for an “additional 2020 recovery rebate for
individuals” in the amount of $600 per person. Married couples who file
jointly will receive $1,200 and $600 per eligible child (aged 16 and
under), if applicable.



Similar to the previous Economic Impact Payments, eligibility will be based
on one’s 2019 tax return. Full recovery rebates will go to individuals with
up to $75,000 in adjusted gross income, heads of household with up to
$112,500, and married couples under $150,000. Individuals with $87,000 or
more in income and married couples who file jointly earning $174,000 or
more will not receive any recovery rebate.



Similar to the CARES Act, individuals who are claimed as a dependent on
someone else’s tax return will not qualify for an individual recovery
rebate. As with the stimulus checks sent through the CARES Act this Spring,
you will still need a valid Social Security number in order to be eligible.
This time, however, a spouse who has a Social Security number who files
jointly with a spouse who does not will still receive their own $600 check.
Their children may also qualify, provided they have Social Security numbers
of their own.



Recovery rebates are set to be sent to federal beneficiaries, such as those
who receive income from Social Security, Supplemental Security Income or
Veterans Administration, even if they did not file 2019 returns. The
payments will be protected from garnishment by banks or levies by debt
collectors.



Recovery rebates will be considered unearned income and will not affect
one's Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits. This spring’s
economic impact payments did not have an effect on Supplemental Security
Income (SSI) recipients, as long as the funds were used within twelve
months of receipt. We anticipate that the same rule will apply for the
additional recovery rebate. We will send further legislative alerts as we
learn more details.



Warm regards,

John



John G. Paré Jr.

Executive Director for Advocacy and Policy

National Federation of the Blind

200 East Wells Street

Baltimore, MD 21230

Telephone: (410) 659-9314, extension 2218

Cell phone: (410) 917-1965

Email: jpare at nfb.org



The National Federation of the Blind is a community of members and friends
who believe in the hopes and dreams of the nation’s blind. Every day we
work together to help blind people live the lives they want.
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