RI Delegation Announces $250 In Economic Recovery Payments For 179,353 RI Social Security Recipients To Begin Going Out Tomorrow; Expected To Bring $51M To State

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RI Delegation Announces $250 In Economic Recovery Payments For 179,353 RI Social Security Recipients To Begin Going Out Tomorrow; Expected To Bring $51M To State

Today, the Rhode Island Congressional Delegation announced that social security recipients will receive one-time, $250 economic recovery payments beginning tomorrow, May 7th with the goal of getting them all out by the end of this month. By mid-May, payments to recipients of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits will also begin to go out. These payments are provided under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which was supported by Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and Representatives Patrick Kennedy and Jim Langevin, and signed into law by President Obama on February 17, 2009.

"This recovery funding will provide Rhode Island seniors and disabled veterans with a one-time cash infusion so they can purchase groceries, medications, and other basic essentials. Not only will these payments provide much-needed assistance to Rhode Island's most vulnerable citizens, but it will also give a boost to the local economy," said Reed.

"For these hard-hit Americans, every dollar counts and some extra help from the federal government could make the difference between housing and homelessness, and between health and sickness," said Whitehouse, who urged Senate leaders to include a temporary increase in Social Security benefits in the Recovery Act and has held a series of information sessions with seniors on the extra payments.

"These payments are a direct and flexible way to help more than 179,000 Rhode Islanders. This one-time payment is a significant piece of the federal recovery package which recognized that in a challenging economy, seniors and disabled Americans are especially vulnerable. I am pleased to know these payments are going out as scheduled," said Kennedy.

"I am pleased that federal stimulus funds continue to be delivered to Rhode Island so quickly, and in this case, directly to Social Security recipients," said Langevin. "These payments will not only help strengthen the safety net for older Rhode Islanders, but will translate into direct consumer spending, benefiting businesses across the state."

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