How Will You Spend Your Recovery Payment?

(May, 2009)

Do you receive Social Security or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits? If so, you’re likely receiving a special, one-time recovery payment this month. The recovery payment is $250. More than 50 million beneficiaries will receive more than $13 billion in recovery payments in May.

Let’s go over the basic facts so you understand how the payment is being made.

• The payment is automatic; no action is required on your part;
• The payment is a direct result of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 passed by Congress and signed by President Obama in February 2009;
• Your one-time economic recovery payment will arrive separately from your Social Security or SSI benefit; it will not be included with your monthly benefit payment; and
• There are no requests to make, no applications to complete and no fees to pay.

To assist in processing the payments as efficiently as possible, please do not contact Social Security—unless you have not received your payment by June 4. More information is available at www.socialsecurity.gov and will be updated as needed.

If anyone contacts you asking for your personal information or for a fee to help you get your payment, it's probably a scam. If you're unsure about the identity of someone claiming to be a Social Security employee, hang up and call 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) to verify the call. You may report suspicious activity involving Social Security programs and operations to the Social Security Fraud Hotline website at www.socialsecurity.gov/oig/hotline or call 1-800-269-0271 (TTY 1-866-501-2101).

So, how do you plan to use your extra $250 this month? Visitors to Social Security's website have been telling us their plans. Here is some of what they've shared:

• "My car needs to have all four tires replaced."
• "Get my kids spring and summer clothes."
• "I will take a trip to see my grandchildren."
• "Pay for a class at college."
• "Replace air conditioner."

To learn more about Social Security and the recovery payments, or to share your plans for your recovery payment, visit www.socialsecurity.gov/payment.

To learn more about the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, visit www.recovery.gov.

Ginny Jordan is a Public Affairs Specialist for the Social Security Administration. Her weekly column on all things Social Security appears in the Sunday Edition of the Sun-Sentinel.

Ginny has agreed to let us reprint her articles here for your convenience.

Thank you Ginny!