Beware scams on one-time gov. checks

Social Security beneficiaries and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients will be happy to know that issuance of the special one-time $250 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 payments have begun as planned.

Payments to eligible recipients are being made in cycles over the course of the month, with all monies expected to be paid by the end of May. However a word .of caution is necessary: do not fall victim to scam artists who seek to cash in on your good fortune.

To make sure no one does, I'll state this as clearly as possible: if you receive a visit, call or email from anyone claiming to want to help you obtain your payment, be skeptical. Do not pay anyone to help you receive your payment. And do not reveal to them any personal information, such as your name, birth date, or Social Security number. If someone requests this information for this purpose, it's more likely they're "out to get your payment" than out to help you.

Remember these important facts.

• If you were eligible for Social Security or SSI in January 2009, or November or December 2008, in most cases you automatically qualify for the economic recovery payment.

• No action is required on your part; and there are no applications to complete and no fees to pay.

• In addition to Social Security and SSI beneficiaries, people who receive benefits from Veterans Affairs and the Railroad Retirement Board also qualify for the $250 one-time payment. Note, however, that only one payment will be made per person, regardless of any combination of benefits that may be received.

Recovery payments will be made in the same way that regular monthly payments are made. People with Direct Deposit will receive their bank payments electronically. Those who receive paper checks will receive their payments in the mail. And people who have the new Direct Express debit card will receive their one-time payments through the card. The one-time payments are being made separately from your Social Security or SSI benefit.

To assist in processing the payments as efficiently as possible, beneficiaries are asked not to contact Social Security until June 4th, if a payment is not received. More information is available at www.socialsecurity.gov/payment and will be updated as needed.

We are, however, interested in hearing how beneficiaries expect to spend their $250. Information is being collected on the Social Security Administration's Internet site. If you have a special purpose in mind, or if you would like to read how others have used their economic recovery payment to reinvest in their communities, go to http://www.socialsecurity.gov/payment/plans.htm.

To learn more about the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, visit www.recovery.gov.

Lawrence Keillor

Public Affairs Specialist for Metropolitan Chicago

Social Security Administration