Who is eligible to get a coronavirus stimulus check? If you owe child support, you might not get one
Not everybody will be eligible to get money from the government as part of the coronavirus stimulus plan.
Parents who owe child support may have that stimulus money gobbled up to pay off their debts.
The Treasury Offset Program is a program that collects federal and state debt. If the program has a debt record for someone who otherwise qualifies for the coronavirus stimulus money, it will step in and take that money.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act is paying out as much as $1,200 per person. However, any (and potentially all of that money, depending on how much the person owes) can be claimed and confiscated by the TOP before it reaches the person.
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said he believes more than 80 million Americans will receive their payments directly in their bank accounts by Wednesday.
STIMULUS CALCULATOR: How much money should you expect from coronavirus relief bill
Who else might miss out on a check?
College students
Anyone with a Social Security Number who makes less than $75,000 a year is eligible for a $1,200 payment. The payments are all based off tax returns, which means people who are labeled as dependents on tax returns are not eligible.
This includes a lot of college students. Many of them are still listed as dependents on their parents tax returns.
The CARES Act does include an extra $500 payment per child under 17 years old. But that would exclude nearly all college students.
Seniors living with their children
If you are a Senior Citizen who is claimed as a dependent on your children's tax return, you would fall under the same exclusion as the college students.
Some disabled adults
Adults who received disability benefits from Social Security Administration or Veterans Affairs will be eligible for the stimulus checks. However, disabled adults who are claimed as dependents on someone else's tax return will not receive the checks.
Immigrants without social security numbers
You do not have to be a U.S. citizen to receive a stimulus check. However, you do need a social security number. Immigrants with green cards and certain work visas will get the checks.
Recently divorced couples
Since the checks go off 2018 or 2019 tax returns, couples who have recently split up may have to deal with some confusion.
The checks would be sent to the bank account associated with the tax return.
