$250 ECONOMIC RECOVERY PAYMENTS TO SOCIAL SECURITY RECIPIENTS WILL GO OUT BEGINNING TODAY  
 
MEDFORD, MA. – Representative Edward J. Markey (D-Malden), today announced that the $250 economic recovery payments for Social Security recipients, which were provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, will begin to go out today, May 7 – with the goal of all these payments being sent out by the end of the month.  

Rep. Markey said, “In these difficult economic times, I am pleased that these $250 payments will begin going out today.  Over 100,000 people in Massachusetts’ 7th district currently receive social security or social security disability benefits, and they will receive an extra $27.44 million in total benefits.  Each extra dollar can make a real difference in the lives of the elderly and disabled in our communities, many of whom have been hit hardest by the current economic crisis that has swept the country.  These days, every little bit helps,” said Rep. Markey, adding that “getting that money out into the economy should also help local businesses.”

In all, more than $13 billion in total payments will go out to more than 50 million people across the nation, also bringing another boost to our economy through consumer spending.

In addition to the economic recovery payments being made to Social Security and SSI recipients, the Recovery Act also provides these payments to disabled veterans and Railroad Retirement recipients.  The payments to Railroad Retirement recipients are scheduled to begin to go out in late May and the payments to disabled veterans in June.  In total, more than 50 million Americans will get this one-time payment.

If someone regularly receives benefits from two or more of these programs – such as Social Security and Railroad Retirement, or a disabled veterans’ benefit and SSI – he or she will receive just one $250 payment.

“The Recovery Act signed by the President on February 17 is historic, sweeping legislation,” said Rep. Markey.  “In addition to creating or saving 3.5 million jobs and providing a Making Work Pay tax cut for 95 percent of working families, it contains these critical $250 Economic Recovery Payments for those Americans unlikely to qualify for the Making Work Pay tax cut – older Americans, disabled veterans, and others.  These payments will help millions of Americans meet some of their basic needs in this struggling economy.  These payments were a crucial piece of this historic bill and I am proud to have supported them.”

 

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