Economic Stimulus Deadline

Senior Citizens and People with Disabilities have one week left to apply for federal Economic Stimulus funds Oct. 15 deadline looms for 120,000 New Jerseyans who haven’t claimed their $300 to $600 checks

TRENTON – With one week before the filing deadline for the federal economic stimulus check, more than 100,000 New Jerseyans, mostly seniors, have yet to apply, leaving millions of dollars in federal funds unclaimed. As a result, state officials and their county partners are redoubling their efforts to get the word out to elderly and disabled citizens.
The deadline for filing is October 15, 2008.
The Department of the Public Advocate (DPA), the Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) and the Department of Human Services (DHS) have redoubled their efforts to inform and assist eligible seniors who have not yet applied.
With nearly 120,000 seniors and disabled people in New Jersey (as of September 12, 2008) who still have not filed to claim their $300-$600 stimulus check, Public Advocate Ronald K. Chen and DHSS Commissioner Heather Howard and DHS Commissioner Jennifer Velez are urging the general public to spread the word.
People who do not normally meet eligibility to file a federal tax return, but have earned at least $3000 in income can claim the funds.
People who are on fixed incomes such as Social Security Retirement, Social Security Disability, or Veteran Affairs benefits, as well as taxpayers who do not normally make enough to file a 2007 tax return can apply for the rebate under the federal Economic Stimulus Program. If an individual receives Supplemental Security Income (SSI) in addition to Social Security Disability (SSD), then he or she may also be eligible. However, those who receive only SSI do not qualify.
New Jersey’s 21 county Area Agencies on Aging (AAA) have been aggressively publicizing this opportunity by contacting and distributing outreach materials to local media, senior centers, clubs and organizations including churches and veteran groups, as well as individual residences.
A number of county area offices on aging coordinated home visits to seniors who are homebound and needed additional assistance in filing. Materials were distributed to home delivered meal clients to emphasize the importance of filing for the stimulus payment.
Several offices have also worked with their county library system to designate local libraries as a resource to pick up the 1040A form.
The Department of Human Services has emailed information about the economic stimulus issue to thousands of stakeholders including advocates, families, and provider groups and has distributed posters to DHS offices statewide, County Welfare Offices and legislative offices.
In light of reports that some tax preparers are charging in excess of $100 to prepare the tax form and that some nursing facilities were improperly taking the funds to cover unpaid expenses, DPA launched a campaign to educate nursing homes and long term care facilities about how to assist residents in claiming the funds.
In addition to reaching out to the facilities directly, a letter offering guidance on how to assist elderly and people with disabilities with tax preparation from the state’s Ombudsman for the Institutionalized Elderly was sent to 1,253 nursing and long-term care facilities, assisted living and residential health care facilities in the state.
Another purpose for the outreach was to clarify some assumptions on how the funds might affect eligibility for Medicaid assistance, which covers the cost of nursing facility level care for thousands of News Jerseyans.
Any suspected tax preparation scams or abusive practices involving the economic stimulus payments within long-term care institutions should be reported to the Office of the Ombudsman for the Institutionalized Elderly- mandated by law to investigate all allegations of abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation of people age 60 and older. To file a complaint, please call their 24-hour toll free hotline at 1-877-582-6995 or email PublicAdvocate@advocate.state.nj.us.