COVID-19 Stimulus Checks for Individuals
The IRS issued three Economic Impact Payments during the coronavirus pandemic for people who were eligible:
- $1,200 in April 2020
- $600 in December 2020/January 2021
- $1,400 in March 2021
These payments were sent by direct deposit to a bank account or by mail as a paper check or a debit card.
Check On Your Stimulus Payment
Check the Get My Payment page from the IRS to find out if you qualified and when you should have received your payment.
What to Do If You Didn’t Receive This or Earlier Stimulus Checks
Follow the directions from the IRS on how to claim these payments if you were eligible for but did not receive them, or if the amount you received was incorrect.
COVID-19 Rental Assistance and Eviction Moratorium
If you need rental assistance because of the COVID-19 pandemic, state or local government programs may help. And you may qualify for a federal eviction moratorium from the CDC that runs through October 3, 2021.
Learn How To Get Emergency Rental Assistance
Emergency Rental Assistance Program
Renters and landlords, use the Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) database from the Treasury Department to find rental assistance from state, local, territorial, and tribal programs.
HUD Resources for Renters
Guidance for Renters and Landlords
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) offers guidance for your financial situation as a renter or a landlord:
CDC Eviction Moratorium
New CDC Eviction Moratorium
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a new order temporarily halting evictions in counties with substantial or high levels of community COVID-19 transmission.
What To Do If You Are Facing Eviction Because of the COVID-19 Pandemic
To help get eviction protection under the CDC's eviction moratorium, fill out this form or write and sign a document to give to your landlord. Include all of the following information:
- You've tried to get government assistance for rent or housing
- You either:
- Earned or expects to earn no more than $99,000 in the calendar years 2020 and 2021 ($198,000 if you’re a couple filing jointly), or
- Didn't have to report any income to the Internal Revenue Service in 2020, or
- Received a COVID-19 stimulus payment
- You can't pay your full rent due to significantly reduced income or large medical bills
- You're paying as much toward your rent as you can
- If evicted you'd become homeless or have to move in with other people in close quarters
- You live in a U.S. county experiencing substantial or high rates of community transmission of COVID-19 as defined by the CDC.
- You understand that you could be liable for perjury for any false or misleading statements or omissions in the declaration.
Keep in mind, this is not rental forgiveness. You will still owe rent to your landlord. And you can be evicted during this time for reasons other than not paying your rent.
Food Stamps and Meal Programs During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, it may be easier for you and your family to get food stamps and take part in meal programs. Contact your state's social services agency to see if you're eligible.
During the pandemic:
People can enroll in food programs remotely rather than in person. This applies to programs for pregnant women, families, seniors, and people with disabilities.
Read about these and other government meal program changes during the COVID-19 pandemic.
If you’ve been affected financially by the COVID-19 pandemic and you own a single-family home with a federally backed or FHA-insured mortgage, you can request mortgage forbearance, a pause in making mortgage payments.
Learn the steps to take and questions to ask if you need mortgage forbearance from your lender.
Deadlines for Federally Backed Mortgage Forbearance and Foreclosures
Forbearance
For loans backed by HUD/FHA, USDA, VA, Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac, you can request an initial forbearance through September 30, 2021.
Foreclosure
Lenders cannot foreclose on loans backed by HUD/FHA, USDA, VA, Fannie Mae, or Freddie Mac until after July 31, 2021.
What Your Loan Servicer Must Do If You Request Forbearance
If you're having trouble making payments on your federally backed mortgage because of the COVID-19 pandemic, contact your loan servicer before September 30, 2021. Your loan servicer must:
Defer or reduce your payments for 180 days if you contact them to make arrangements
Give you another 180 days of mortgage relief at your request
Offer options for how you can make up the deferred or reduced payments. They will discuss these options with you at the end of your forbearance period.
Find Your Loan Servicer
If you don't know whether your mortgage is federally backed, see a list of federal agencies that provide or insure mortgages. You can also check the Fannie Mae loan lookup and the Freddie Mac loan lookup to see if either one owns or backs your mortgage. Together, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac own nearly half of all mortgages in the U.S.
Do you have a question?
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Last Updated:
August 9, 2021