How to check if you are receiving a stimulus payment
The only way to know if a stimulus payment is coming to you is to check the official source that issued it. For federal stimulus payments (like those sent during 2020 and 2021), that means the IRS website or the U.S. Treasury. For settlement payments, it means the settlement administrator or claims processor named in the settlement agreement itself.
There is no single website that tracks all stimulus or settlement payments across the country. Each program has its own status tool, and scammers often create fake versions of these tools to steal personal information. Always navigate directly to the official website by typing the URL yourself, not by clicking a link in an email or text message.
If you received a notice in the mail about a settlement, that notice will tell you exactly where to check your status and what information you need to provide. Keep that notice — it is your proof that the settlement is real.
Key Takeaways
- Federal stimulus payments can be checked through IRS.gov or the Treasury Department website using your Social Security number and filing status.
- Settlement payments require you to contact the specific settlement administrator named in your notice letter, not a general government office.
- Legitimate status tools ask for basic tax information, not passwords, bank account numbers, or copies of government IDs.
- If you did not receive a notice letter about a settlement, you likely are not part of that settlement and should not send money or personal details to claim it.
- Scammers impersonate stimulus and settlement payment programs, so always type the official website address yourself rather than clicking links.
Where to check for federal stimulus payments
The IRS maintains a tool called "Get My Payment" for tracking Economic Impact Payments (the stimulus checks sent in 2020 and 2021). You can access it at irs.gov by searching for "Get My Payment" or navigating to the COVID-19 Tax Relief page. You will need your Social Security number, date of birth, and mailing address.
The tool tells you whether a payment was sent, the method (direct deposit or check), and the date. If the tool says a payment was sent but you never received it, the IRS has a process to request a trace or replacement, but that process takes time — often several months. The tool itself cannot speed up a payment or change the delivery method.
If you did not receive a stimulus payment and the IRS tool shows no record of one, you may be able to claim it on your tax return. This is a different process from checking the status of a payment that was already sent.
How settlement payment checks work
Settlement payments are money paid out because a company or organization lost a lawsuit or agreed to settle a claim. These are not government programs. Each settlement has its own administrator — a company hired to handle the claims process and send the checks.
If you are part of a settlement, you will receive a notice letter in the mail. That letter will include the settlement name, the claims important date, the administrator's contact information, and instructions for checking your status or claiming your share. Do not trust a settlement notice that arrives by email or text unless you initiated contact with the administrator first.
To check the status of a settlement payment, contact the administrator using the phone number or website listed in your notice letter. Have your notice letter in front of you when you call. The administrator can tell you whether a check has been mailed, when it was sent, and what to do if you did not receive it.
What information you should and should not provide
Legitimate stimulus and settlement payment tools ask for limited information: your Social Security number, date of birth, filing status, and mailing address. They do not ask for passwords, bank account numbers, credit card numbers, or copies of your driver's license or passport.
If a website or caller asks for any of the following, it is a scam: your online banking password, your PIN, a photo of your ID, your full credit card number, or money upfront to "unlock" or "verify" your payment. Real government agencies and settlement administrators never ask for these things.
If you accidentally provided sensitive information to a fake website, contact your bank and credit card companies when ready. You can also report the scam to the Federal Trade Commission at reportfraud.ftc.gov.
What to do if you think you are owed money but have no notice
If you heard about a settlement or stimulus payment but never received an official notice letter, search for the settlement name plus "claims" on Google. Legitimate settlement websites appear in search results and have official-looking URLs (often ending in .gov or .com with the settlement name in it).
Be cautious of websites that appear only in ads or that ask you to pay money to check your status. Real settlements do not charge claimants to file a claim or check their status. If you find what looks like a legitimate settlement website, look for contact information and call to ask whether you are part of the settlement before providing any personal information online.
If you cannot find any record of a settlement you heard about, it may not exist, or you may not be part of it. Do not send money or personal information to claim a payment you are not certain about.
Timing: when payments actually arrive
Federal stimulus payments took weeks to months to arrive after they were announced, depending on whether you received direct deposit or a mailed check. Direct deposits typically arrived faster than checks. If a payment was sent to an old address or account, it could take much longer to receive or may not arrive at all.
Settlement payments vary widely in timing. Some settlements pay out within weeks of approval; others take months or years. The notice letter you receive will tell you the expected timeline. If a settlement is still in the approval phase, no payments go out until a judge approves the settlement agreement.
If you are told a payment is coming but weeks or months pass with no arrival, contact the administrator or the IRS directly using the phone number from your official notice or the government website. Do not rely on emails or calls from people claiming to represent the program.
Red flags that signal a scam
Scammers impersonate stimulus and settlement payment programs constantly. Watch for these warning signs: unsolicited calls or texts telling you that you are owed money, websites that look similar to official ones but have slightly different URLs (like "irs-payment.com" instead of "irs.gov"), requests to pay a fee to receive your payment, and pressure to act quickly or your payment will expire.
Real government agencies and settlement administrators do not call you out of the blue to tell you about money. If you receive such a call, hang up and call the official number from the government website or your notice letter.
If you see an ad on social media or a search engine claiming you are owed stimulus or settlement money, assume it is a scam. Legitimate programs do not advertise this way.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get my stimulus payment reissued if I lost the check?
Yes, but it takes time. Contact the IRS using the phone number on irs.gov and request a payment trace. The IRS will investigate whether the check was cashed and can issue a replacement, but this process typically takes several months. You will need to provide your Social Security number and the date you believe the check was sent.
What if the IRS tool says no payment was sent to me?
You may be able to claim the stimulus payment on your tax return as a recovery rebate credit. This is a separate process from checking the status of a payment that was already issued. Speak with a tax professional or contact the IRS directly to learn whether you are may be able to access to claim it.
How do I know if a settlement notice I received is real?
Real settlement notices come by mail, not email or text, and include the settlement name, the court or agency that approved it, the claims important date, and the administrator's contact information. You can verify the settlement by searching for its name online or calling the administrator using the phone number in the notice. Do not use a phone number from an email or text.
What should I do if I received a settlement notice but missed the important date?
Contact the settlement administrator when ready using the phone number in your notice letter. Some settlements have late claim periods or allow exceptions for people who did not receive notice. The administrator can tell you whether you can still file a claim and what documentation you need to provide.
Is there a way to track all my stimulus and settlement payments in one place?
No. Each program has its own status tool. For federal stimulus payments, use the IRS website. For settlement payments, contact the specific administrator named in your notice letter. There is no government database that consolidates all of these across programs.