NCD advises Treasury Department, IRS on CARES Act payments

For Immediate Release

May 4, 2020

WASHINGTON—The National Council on Disability (NCD) has advised the Department of Treasury and Internal Revenue Service to adjust deadlines to submit additional information for economic impact payments for dependents, in light of issues people with disabilities may experience with the process.

In a letter to Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin and IRS Commissioner Charles P. Rettig, NCD urged to them to eliminate the April 22 and May 5 deadlines, improve a portal application process that has made meeting the deadlines difficult, and offer a non-web-based alternative for those who do not have internet access.

“NCD is concerned with the filing deadlines as well as the portal itself”, wrote Chairman Neil Romano. “NCD has heard from congressional offices who have heard from their constituents and from disability groups around the country who are concerned that many people with disabilities who did not file tax returns in 2018 or 2019 and have qualifying children need additional time to use the IRS online non-filer portal.”

The Chairman urged them to communicate that cancellation broadly and allow for eligible individuals to provide their additional information on an ongoing or rolling basis into the 2021 tax year and to create alternative non-web-based options for submitting information. Doing so would allow the greatest amount of people intended to access these payments to do so and allow for time to address accessibility concerns with the portal.

“I advise that Treasury, the IRS, and SSA work quickly to develop and execute an outreach campaign targeting federal benefit recipients with disabilities with a plain language message of how and by when they must comply to make sure they have an opportunity to receive the full amount of the economic impact payment that Congress intended under the CARES Act,” wrote the Chairman.

Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act with overwhelming bi-partisan support to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans. President Donald J. Trump signed it into law on March 27.

NCD is an independent, nonpartisan federal agency with authority to advise the President, U.S. Congress, and federal agencies on matters affecting the lives of individuals with disabilities.

Read the letter at NCD.gov.

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