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| -Signs, Portents, and the Weather- |
| Stimulus Checks Sent to Deceased People - What to do? |
| 2020-05-02 |
| Neither my sister nor I collect Social Security. Nevertheless, she received a check in the mail made out to my deceased mother, and it says "DECD" for her stimulus check of $1,200 [Photo of check in link]. Not exactly sure what to do with this check. How would we cash it? This is really confusing. It will probably cost $1,000 for legal advice to figure out if the check should be cashed or if they would call it fraud because we knew she was deceased, even though it is made out to her as deceased. Sort of a trick question with consequences. This is why I say the government is just incapable of ever doing anything whatsoever. They would never be able to run even a bubblegum machine. When they sold out of gum, they would need three committees to investigate, and a fourth one to figure out how much to raise taxes to buy more bubblegum. The Justice Department would need to investigate if someone got two pieces of gum with one coin, provided they are not related to a politician. |
| Posted by:Clem |
| #13 A thought: perhaps Raj, tax accountant extraordinaire — or another of Rantburg’s many experts on anything one might want to know —will have an idea of how to handle this, or whom to ask for direction. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2020-05-02 20:24 |
| #12 My sympathies, Penguin and Klem. Losing a parent is difficult, and this kind of nonsense makes it harder. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2020-05-02 20:21 |
| #11 Here in America we need to send along a certified (or notarized — I don’t recall exactly) copy of the death certificate, provided by the funeral company as a normal service when they bury or whatever the dear departed. My mother was given a stack of them when my father died a decade ago, with a list of all the people/businesses/government bureaus who would demand one. Without one it would be assumed Daddy was still alive, we were told. I’ve seen indignant news stories about the difficulties caused when someone is accidentally declared dead by this or that government bureau, because of course there is no standard form when one isn’t. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2020-05-02 20:17 |
| #10 Where I live, they leave the onus of proving you're alive on you. Every year you've got to show up at the pension office, or an inspector will come round to take your retinal and whatever. If you don't re-register for two years, straight - you're dead for the pension office. No more pensions. Also, direct electronic disbursement to verified accounts has made false claimants marginal. |
| Posted by: Dron66046 2020-05-02 13:46 |
| #9 Mom died last fall. I was getting ready to close her account because the final tax return and overpayment received and underpayment cashed was completed, then that came in. I’ve already drafted the letter but spouse said wait. Let them take it out. It was $200. |
| Posted by: Klem Kadiddlehopper 2020-05-02 13:23 |
| #8 Stimulus Checks Sent to Deceased People - What to do? hm. That depends on how they vote in November. |
| Posted by: Mercutio 2020-05-02 11:05 |
| #7 That's why they need COBOL programmers. |
| Posted by: Skidmark 2020-05-02 10:45 |
| #6 The recently dead, demographics unavailable. Gummit sez 'IRS too busy to pursue fraud.' Number of checks returned to the US Treasury, very likely unavailable as well. What are your questions. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2020-05-02 08:28 |
| #5 Yeah, but they still vote. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2020-05-02 08:23 |
| #4 @ #2 - Indeed, what is so hard about sending it back? Isn't there a blurb on IRS refund checks (envelopes) to return if deceased? There was an article recently (I think posted here as well, IIRC) about the gov't not really giving a hoot about this stimulus check process. |
| Posted by: Clem 2020-05-02 08:22 |
| #3 Condolences, Penguin |
| Posted by: Frank G 2020-05-02 08:03 |
| #2 This is why I say the government is just incapable of ever doing anything whatsoever. Property of the estate of the deceased. If you do not wish to treat it as such, send it back to the Treasury of the United States and keep your certified mail receipt. Please do your homework. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2020-05-02 07:51 |
| #1 My Dad passed 8 March and got his stimulus check direct deposited before we closed out his checking account. |
| Posted by: Penguin_of_the_Desert 2020-05-02 07:27 |