AP Photo/Evan Vucci
- Individuals who have provided their direct deposit information to the IRS are starting to receive their coronavirus stimulus money this week.
- But more than 70 million Americans who will receive paper checks are still waiting.
- On Tuesday, the Washington Post reported that the checks may be delayed a few additional days because President Donald Trump wanted his name to be on them.
- Business Insider spoke to an economically diverse group of Americans for whom any delay in relief could be devastating.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
With non-essential businesses closed and millions of Americans out of work, the $1,200 stimulus checks can't come fast enough.
While many who have provided the IRS with direct deposit information will start to see their money roll in this week, others have to wait for a paper check to arrive by mail.
And that check may be further delayed, because, on Tuesday, senior Treasury Department officials told the Washington Post that President Donald Trump asked to have his signature formally including on the checks. The unprecedented decision means that "President Donald J. Trump" will appear on the bottom left side of the payment that 70 million Americans will receive in the coming weeks.
It will be the first time a president's name appears on an IRS disbursement, and getting that done is likely to delay the distribution of the money by "a few days," according to the Post.
In an interview with Yahoo Money, Chad Hooper, the national president of the IRS's Professional Managers Association said: "reprogramming historically has led to delays."
Former IRS Commissioner Mark Everson concurred, noting that "anytime you have more changes from what you've done before, you've got to test it. So by definition, it involves time," he told Yahoo Money. Testing, he continued, would be further complicated because workers aren't currently operating out of their offices. "They're stretched in the technology area and they're under a tight timeline."
An anonymous treasury department official confirmed to the New York Times that the signature inclusion would cause a delay, though an official Treasury Department spokesperson told the Washington Post that there would be no delay and said the checks are scheduled to go out next week, as planned.
Delay or no, it's clear that many Americans can't get their checks soon enough. Business Insider talked to struggling Americans about what a possible delay in relief could look like for them.
This story is a part of Business Insider's ongoing coverage of the pandemic and related financial hardships. If you have a story about how you will spend your stimulus relief, or you've struggled to get access to stimulus money, please email Haven Orecchio-Egresitz at horecchio@businessinsider.com.
