DENVER -- The second round of stimulus payments came with half as much cash, but for some, even more problems.
Many would-be recipients have been reaching out to Contact Denver7, saying they have been held in check.
Glendale resident Rhonda Wetzig and her husband had no trouble with their first stimulus check, but the second came up short at $1,015 instead of $1,200.
"So, we definitely needed that $186 that was the difference," said Wetzig. "And I can't find any information, so that's why I reached out to see if you could help me."
Many people are reaching out to Contact Denver7 who haven't received any stimulus money at all, and they know the clock is ticking.
The IRS has to issue stimulus payments by January 15 by law, and while millions of people have received theirs, the roll-out has not exactly been smooth.
"There's a lot of hype about this," said Aurora resident Paulie Keener, who was impatiently waiting for his payment when Turbo Tax sent him a message that stated "Millions of payments were sent to wrong accounts because of an IRS error."
"I mean $600! Lights stay on, groceries get paid for. Why didn't the government tell us about this?" said Keener.
Keener said he is relieved he just received his payment, but that an unknown number of people are still waiting.
You are supposed to be able to check the status of your payment on the IRS website, but some people are getting this response: "Payment #2 -- Status Not Available." In a January 6 update, the IRS states that if you get this response, you will not receive the second payment and must claim it on your 2020 tax return.
Rhonda still does not know why she received a partial payment, but she will also have to claim a recovery rebate credit when she pays her 2020 taxes.
"I definitely don't understand why it has to be so difficult," she said.
On its website the IRS posted last week:
"Because of the speed at which the law required the IRS to issue the second round of Economic Impact Payments, some payments may have been sent to an account that may be closed or, is or no longer active, or unfamiliar. By law, the financial institution must return the payment to the IRS; they cannot hold and issue the payment to an individual when the account is no longer active. If Get My Payment shows “Payment Status #2 – Not Available” you will not receive a second EIP."
The IRS advises people that if they don’t receive their Economic Impact Payment, they should file their 2020 tax return electronically and claim the Recovery Rebate Credit on their tax return to get their payment and any refund as quickly as possible.
Editor's note: Denver7 seeks out audience tips and feedback to help people in need, resolve problems and hold the powerful accountable. If you know of a community need our call center could address, or have a story idea for our investigative team to pursue, please email us at contact7@thedenverchannel.com or call (720) 462-7777. Find more Denver7 stories here.
