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'I didn’t think it would take this long’: Many in NC still waiting on stimulus money

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Ginger Williams’s husband died last year.

She said, now, she’s dealing with health issues so she’s not working and only making part of her salary. Bottom line: she’s really counting on her stimulus money.

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“I didn’t think it would take this long, I really didn’t,” she told Action 9′s Jason Stoogenke.

Williams doesn’t know why she didn’t get her stimulus money. Plus, another curveball just popped up. She’s on Social Security and the agency sent her a letter saying it overpaid her more than $3,400.

“So now I got to pay all that money back to them,” she said. “I don’t know what we’re going do. I mean, I know we’re going to be OK. But the fear of it. Just not knowing and the worrying.”

There are several reasons you may be waiting too:

  • If you get SSI, but didn’t file a federal tax return in 2018 or 2019.
  • If you’re low-income and don’t have to file tax returns.
  • If you’re a veteran -- the government gives you a pension – and you didn’t file returns.
  • If you’re self-employed – and usually owe taxes – so the IRS doesn’t have your bank account information.

In theory, you can update your bank account information on IRS.gov. But a lot of people have told Action 9 they had trouble with that. So --one option -- go file your 2019 tax return now (if you haven’t already). That will give the IRS all the latest direct deposit information it needs.

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