Rep. Ben McAdams was concerned about a rule that could've delayed stimulus checks for seniors. (FILE PHOTO)
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — Utah Rep. Ben McAdams is praising the Trump Administration for a rule change that makes it easier for senior citizens to get their stimulus checks. The Treasury Department announced Wednesday night that income tax returns from 2018 or 2019 won’t be necessary to secure payments from the $2.2-million stimulus.
Seniors who normally don’t file taxes would have been required to file a simple tax return before getting their checks. Rep. Ben McAdams told Utah’s Morning News with Tim & Amanda he’s been working on a rule change for the past couple of days.
“Let’s just cut the red tape and help them get those payments,” he said.
McAdams had previously called upon the IRS to change the rule. The agency now says CARES act payment information for seniors will come from established social security payments.
“If they get direct deposit, that will show up in their (bank) account. If they get it by check, it will take a little bit longer,” McAdams said.
McAdams is also praising the Trump Administration and the Treasury Department for the rule change. The CARES Act didn’t specify how the payments would be made, so agencies were allowed to decide that without changing the law.
“So I think this is an example of government getting it back together, figuring it out quickly, and reversing course,” he said.
The government also released a shocking weekly unemployment report on Thursday morning. The Utah Department of Workforce Services later said new claims over the past two weeks are nearly equal to all of 2019.
“It just shows how hard this pandemic is hitting so many Utah families,” McAdams said.
McAdams continues to work from home as he recovers from COVID-19. He says he’s virus-free and out of quarantine. He expects a lingering cough for another month.
“It’s great to be reunited with my family. I really missed them for the eight days that I was in the hospital.”
Listen to the interview with Rep. Ben McAdams on Utah’s Morning News with Tim & Amanda below:
You can find more of our coronavirus coverage below.