Making Work Pay Credit Confusion

[dyne]

Recently I made an error and reported on a tax return that the wife DID receive the $250
Economic Benefit Payment during 2010 when in fact she did not. IRS rejected the
return and after I corrected the return she received a $250 larger refund. She did work.
Today a client advised that she never received the $250 Economic Benefit payment
either in 2009 or 2010. She began to receive social security benefits in Novemer 2009,
so she should have received the $250 Economic Benefit Payment during 2010. I checked
the website and verified that she did NOT receive the $250 Economic Benefit payment.
She did NOT work during 2010. The computer does NOT provide a $250 additional
refund nor display a schedule M. Apparently if you did not work during 2010, the $250 is
NOT allowed. Now, HOW does the taxpayer go about obtaining the $250 she should
have gotten and never did? Must she contact the Social Security Administration?

[David1980]

Wouldn't qualify. Would have needed to be eligible for SS benefits November of 2008, December of 2008, or January of 2009. Since they didn't start receiving SS until November 2009 they weren't eligible in the proper time.

Basically only people that would get it in 2010 are those that should have been eligible in 2009 but didn't (like someone who receives a few years back SS benefits in 2010.)

[dyne]

Thanks David1980.

[PIGLEE]

Also the 250.00 from Social Security was only for people that have gone into the donut hole, for prescriptions. My husband got one, and I did not.

[dyne]

I now realize that the Economic recorvery or benefit payment of $250 received
REDUCES the Making Work Pay Credit and if neither spouse had earned income,
whether either of them received this $250 does not matter since no Making Work Pay
Credit is allowable.