In April 2020, we talked briefly about the $500 credit per dependent child under 16 in the first coronavirus relief package. When it came to determining who was qualified for the credit, there was a lot of conflicting information floating around. With information coming in from every possible direction, it seems that some people missed out on the per-child payment the first time around.

It May Not be Too Late to Receive an Economic Impact Payment for Your Children

If you didn’t receive your $500 per-child payment when you received your Economic Impact Payment earlier this year, it may not be too late. You may still be eligible if you:

• Receive Social Security
• Receive Supplemental Security Income
• Receive Railroad Retirement benefits
• Receive Veteran’s benefits

The IRS will let you register for this payment from now until September 30, 2020. Approved payments will be sent out next month pending no changes to the plan. You can use the IRS’s non-filers tool to register with them for the qualifying child payment and let them know where to send it. The form will ask for basic information like your full name, current mailing address, date of birth, and social security number. It will ask for similar information for each qualifying child.

The non-filers page provides a clear breakdown of eligibility requirements, tips for using the free IRS non-filer tool, and what happens next. You can use this tool as long as you haven’t already provided this information through the same portal since May 5 of this year, or filed 2018 or 2019 tax returns. Read more about federal benefit recipients and qualifying child catch-up payments here.