Hanlon's Law

[DemocratSinceBirth]

Hanlon's razor is a principle or rule of thumb that states "never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity". Known in several other forms, it is a philosophical razor that suggests a way of eliminating unlikely explanations for human behavior.

For the time being, I am willing to attribute the delay in stimulus payments going out to certain groups like Social Security recipients who are non-filers to incompetence and not malice.

[Ocelot II]

1. All the Social Security recipients I know, including me,

got their checks by direct deposit on 3/17. Does this refer to paper checks? But I think Hanlon's Razor would be the correct conclusion, regardless.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

4. Are you a filer? That's the rub.

Many SSI and SSDI recipients are non filers

[Ocelot II]

8. Yes, I guess that explains it.

It stands to reason that it's taking the IRS longer to process checks for non-filers because they don't have the info they need.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

11. Precisely

However, I got my 2nd stimulus check in the 1st wave despite being a non-filer. This time around there seems to be a delay. I can use the money but don't absolutely need it. I feel bad for those in the latter group who are still waiting.

[lagomorph777]

2. In the case of the GQP, the Reverse Hanlon's Law applies.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

3. You are seriously misinformed about the stimulus payments delayed to Social Security recipients.

I also can say that I, and everyone else I know who is on Social Security got theirs in the first or second round of deposits.

And how many hundreds of millions of checks or deposits need to be gotten out? These things are not done instantaneously, by waving a magic wand.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

6. Res ipsa loquitur.

The IRS has not given a date on when the latest round of stimulus checks would go out to retirees, veterans and people with disabilities.

WASHINGTON — A key House committee wants the heads of the Internal Revenue Service and Social Security Administration to explain by Friday why the $1,400 stimulus checks from the American Rescue Plan have been slow to get out to people on Social Security and other government programs.

In a letter to IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig and SSA Commissioner Andrew Saul, House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal, D-Mass, and three subcommittee heads expressed concern as to why payments have been delayed to beneficiaries of Social Security and Supplemental Security Income, the Railroad Retirement Board and of Veterans Affairs. They also want to know why the IRS can't provide a timeline of when the payments will go out.

https://www.localmemphis.com/mobile/article/news/nation-world/third-stimulus-check-social-security/507-2d80f4b7-8e4f-4b47-a128-bea430fadc8f

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

12. I wonder how many millions of deposits/checks went out in the first three rounds.

And my own state doesn't provide a timeline of where you are on the list of people waiting to get a vaccine, which is a vastly shorter list.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

13. I was only speaking to those who receive government payments like SSI who don't file.

That's a large group.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

19. I think I'm grateful I still need to file.

And probably will for the rest of my life.

[Elessar Zappa]

16. I'm on SSDI

and I haven't received the $600 or $1400. And I only make $12,000 so I do qualify. I'm not attributing it to malice or incompetence but it does appear I've been overlooked for some reason. I'm going to give it another 2 weeks and then I'll contact my Rep and the IRS.

[KPN]

5. My career was federal. Over my 35+ years I saw Reagan, the two Bushes, Clinton

and Obama move into the White House. In every one of those administration changes, it took at least 6 months or more for the new administration to gain full control of the reins in at least the department I worked in. I wouldn’t discount residual malice at this point.

[Wounded Bear]

7. I'm on SS, got my Biden Bucks today 3/24...

Hope you get yours soon. They're paying out in waves, and checks take longer if you get those.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

9. Are you a filer? That's the rub.

[Wounded Bear]

10. No, I live below the poverty line...

in fact, I think I screwed up the first payments by filing a no-refund tax return last year, just to 'be sure.' I suspect they were looking for 'reasons' to delay the payments.

But when I filed with no refund or payment, I didn't enter any bank info, so my first check ended up late and paper. I've been paid my SS by sirect deposit for over 6 years. I got a debit card on the second payment.

This time, it was direct deposit.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

14. So you did file?

I think I screwed up the first payments by filing a no-refund tax return last year

There is a large group of folks who receive government benefits like SS, SSDI, VA, Railroad et cetera who don't file anything.

[Wounded Bear]

15. Just once last year, and I think it screwed me. I don't normally file...nt

[DemocratSinceBirth]

17. They have "something on file" for you.

In the current instance, the IRS has to get the information from other agencies like SS, VA, and Railroads.

[Wounded Bear]

18. I take it you didn't read my post...

I get my SS via direct deposit. Have for 6 years or so. SS has my info. That's why I got direct deposit this time. It worked better this time.