AARP Takes Steps to Ensure Virgin Islanders Receive their $1200 Stimulus Payment

En Español | Earlier today, May 12, 2020, AARP penned a letter to Andrew Saul, Commissioner of the Social Security Administration, urging him to assist residents of the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico to receive their stimulus payment quickly and automatically. AARP has been fielding calls from Virgin Islands Social Security beneficiaries concerned about receiving their stimulus monies without having to file a 1040 as instructed by the Virgin Islands Bureau of Internal Revenue.

AARP wants to level the playing field for our Socal Security beneficiaries and will continue to advocate for Social Security recipients to be treated as their counter-parts on the mainland.

Social Security Beneficiaries in the Virgin Islands deserve economic relief – Now!


Dear Commissioner Saul:

On behalf of our 38 million members and all older Americans nationwide, AARP thanks you for your leadership of the Social Security Administration throughout the coronavirus pandemic, including your efforts to assist the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to ensure tens of millions of Social Security beneficiaries receive their economic impact payments as quickly as possible, and in a simple and straightforward manner. We write today to urge you to assist Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands to ensure Social Security beneficiaries living in the territories are also able to receive their relief payments quickly and automatically.

It is our understanding the IRS and the U.S. Treasury Department have recently finalized impact payment disbursement plans for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands that require local tax authorities to disburse relief payments to eligible residents, including Social Security beneficiaries. AARP has been hearing increasing concerns that these local tax authorities will be unable to quickly and efficiently identify Social Security beneficiaries who are eligible for relief payments without requiring them to fill out additional paperwork.

AARP believes Social Security beneficiaries in U.S. Territories, like all other Americans, should be able to receive their relief payments automatically and without having to file additional paperwork. We therefore urge you to work with local tax authorities in U.S. Territories, including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, the IRS and Treasury to help identify all eligible Social Security beneficiaries living there and to ensure they receive their much-needed relief payments as quickly as possible.

Once again, AARP thanks you for your leadership in these difficult times. We urge you to continue your efforts to ensure economic relief payments reach all Social Security recipients who need them, including those in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Sincerely,
Bill Sweeney
Senior Vice President
Government Affairs