[JCMSr]

In early January my wife received her 2nd COVID-19 stimulus in the form of a manual check from the US Treasury Department which came as somewhat of a surprise since the previous payments had been handled via direct deposit. To date, I have yet to receive my 2nd payment and have been unable to get any reasonable explanation until today. Checking the IRS website daily only tells me that either (1) they don't have enough information yet or (2) I am not eligible. Since I am 100% certain that I am eligible what information could they possibly be missing? After weeks of looking at the same reply on their website, today I finally decided to try to get to the bottom of this issue and called the toll free number (800/919-9835) that IRS provided for questions related only to the COVID-19 Stimulus checks. The first agent I spoke with was very knowledgeable and helpful but what I found out was shocking. According to my records our 2019 Federal Tax Return which was filed in July 2019 had been placed on hold pending “ID verification”. I was asked if I had received any correspondence to this effect and explained that, yes I received a letter from the IRS confirming receipt of my tax returns and asking me to “go online” to provide additional verification. This was done the day I received the letter, however, due to what was called “some glitches” in their system and minimal staffing due to the lockdowns during the prior months this information had apparently never been updated. So, basically ….. no 2019 tax return ….. no 2nd stimulus check! Ok, then why did my wife receive a check since we have been filing joint tax returns for 40+ years! No explanation other than the fact that her social security number was not the primary taxpayer number on the return. So no tax return equals stimulus payment but a documented/filed return said to need verification makes the entire process come to a complete stop? Oh, and by the way, there was not even a refund involved in the returns filed for 2019! Who would go to the trouble to file a tax return without scoring some type of monetary reward! Talk about dumb crook news!

Anyway, after explaining the reason for the delay in receiving my check I was next transferred to the Taxpayer Protection Program Department but not before being disconnected twice in the process and waiting on hold for in excess of 30 minutes. Once I was finally able to speak with an agent and answer their multiple questions to confirm the tax return was legitimate, I was told our 2019 Federal Tax Return would now be released for “processing” which could take up to an additional 9 weeks! By the way, the entire verification process consisted of answering questions which were already answered on the tax return forms. They might have asked for my mother’s maiden name but everything else I answered by looking at my saved copy of the tax return. In the end, the process for filing for a Recovery Rebate Credit on my 2020 Federal Tax Return was explained to me and I was assured that the lack of the 2019 return would not affect the processing of my stimulus payment. Somehow, I have a hard time believing that after how bad things have been screwed up to date so don’t blame me for not stimulating the economy any time soon.

Prior to terminating this call I requested a written confirmation that the verification process had been completed and that the tax return was now finally being processed. I was told that I would only receive a confirmation after the tax return had been processed in approximately nine weeks. I explained that since they had been essentially sitting on this return for over six months with zero notifications to us and I only found out about the problem due to my inquiries into the stimulus payments, I wanted some assurances that after nine weeks I would not be starting the process all over again. Unfortunately, their system does not provide a way to provide any written notifications! What a bunch of bull and welcome to the new and improved, taxpayer friendly IRS!

[JohnN]

My sympathies. Government efficiency, like jumbo shrimp, is an oxymoron.

[charlieo1126@gmail.com]

I just read that you were only supposed to get one 1200 check some people received 2 but it is not a good idea to spend it , this was on a government web site

[Rango]

Be thankful you don’t get all the government you pay for.

[Bay Kid]

Has anyone noticed how terrible the USPO has become? The Christmas excuse is over. Bills taking weeks to deliver.

[blueash]

Originally Posted by Bay Kid

Has anyone noticed how terrible the USPO has become? The Christmas excuse is over. Bills taking weeks to deliver.

You can actually see the performance report for the USPO broken down by 1/4 year. It has the goal and the reality. It is viewable as a chart or a table. For first class you can see 2 day goal and 3 to 5 day goal. I think that whether a piece of mail was a 2 day goal depends on location of the sender and recipient. Example: NYC to Washington DC, should get there in 2 days. The Villages to Watertown NY more likely 3 to 5.

There was a very significant drop in the 4th quarter of 2020 in on time delivery. You can select from many options in the drop down menu.

In the 4th Q of 2019 94% of 2 day was on time vs 88% in 2020 and for 3 to 5 day, 88% in 2019 vs 72% in 2020. December was far worse than Oct and Nov in 2020, but there was not the same problem seen in the 4th Q of 2019

The NYTimes has a recent article with many charts probing the slow down in mail delivery.

The data for January 2021 is not better:
The U.S. Postal Service was able to deliver just 71% of first class mail on time by the end of last year, as opposed to 92% in January 2020. On-time delivery of non-first class mail dropped to 38% last month, from 79% the year before.

When you're wondering how long it will take for the letter you sent to be delivered, just look at the stamp you're using, Forever.

[Bay Kid]

Originally Posted by blueash

You can actually see the performance report for the USPO broken down by 1/4 year. It has the goal and the reality. It is viewable as a chart or a table. For first class you can see 2 day goal and 3 to 5 day goal. I think that whether a piece of mail was a 2 day goal depends on location of the sender and recipient. Example: NYC to Washington DC, should get there in 2 days. The Villages to Watertown NY more likely 3 to 5.

There was a very significant drop in the 4th quarter of 2020 in on time delivery. You can select from many options in the drop down menu.

In the 4th Q of 2019 94% of 2 day was on time vs 88% in 2020 and for 3 to 5 day, 88% in 2019 vs 72% in 2020. December was far worse than Oct and Nov in 2020, but there was not the same problem seen in the 4th Q of 2019

The NYTimes has a recent article with many charts probing the slow down in mail delivery.

The data for January 2021 is not better:
The U.S. Postal Service was able to deliver just 71% of first class mail on time by the end of last year, as opposed to 92% in January 2020. On-time delivery of non-first class mail dropped to 38% last month, from 79% the year before.

When you're wondering how long it will take for the letter you sent to be delivered, just look at the stamp you're using, Forever.

Tn. to Va. 10 days. Jan.27 shipped, delivered Feb. 6th. Paid for 2 day priority mail. Pitiful.

[Aloha1]

Remember the Congress demanded that all the reforms the Postmaster General had initiated be suspended prior to the election last November. I don't think they have been reinstated and so the waste and slowness continues.

[Bucco]

Originally Posted by Aloha1

Remember the Congress demanded that all the reforms the Postmaster General had initiated be suspended prior to the election last November. I don't think they have been reinstated and so the waste and slowness continues.

Yes he did. In August.

However, the changes made in June are those that impacted service. That is according to the IG report.

USPS operational changes had ‘significant impact’ on mail delays, watchdog finds | Federal News Network

[Bay Kid]

Originally Posted by Aloha1

Remember the Congress demanded that all the reforms the Postmaster General had initiated be suspended prior to the election last November. I don't think they have been reinstated and so the waste and slowness continues.

Elections are long over. Time for the PO to get back to work.

[charlieo1126@gmail.com]

Interesting how this got on to a rant about PO that was being starved by previous government and nothing about the long complaint about his wife getting 2 stimulus checks and why he hadn’t got his second when you are only supposed to get one seems all these people he was supposedly talking to didn’t know either

[Aloha1]

Originally Posted by Bucco

Yes he did. In August.

However, the changes made in June are those that impacted service. That is according to the IG report.

USPS operational changes had ‘significant impact’ on mail delays, watchdog finds | Federal News Network

A statement which in the same article you quote, the USPS Board Of Governors disputes.

[Bucco]

Originally Posted by Aloha1

A statement which in the same article you quote, the USPS Board Of Governors disputes.

Let's just suggest that you find out the definition of Inspector General, and using recall remember the real actual news last summer, promoting the need to pressure the PO to nix any further changes.

Not sure what you don't understand. Massive changes made in June or so, with more to come. Unbiased complaints caused the folks to think it over a bit...it was obvious then why it was done and where it was leading.

PO is now in serious trouble and in flux...

https://www.washingtonpost.com/graph...ts-next-biden/

[Aloha1]

Originally Posted by Bucco

Let's just suggest that you find out the definition of Inspector General, and using recall remember the real actual news last summer, promoting the need to pressure the PO to nix any further changes.

Not sure what you don't understand. Massive changes made in June or so, with more to come. Unbiased complaints caused the folks to think it over a bit...it was obvious then why it was done and where it was leading.

PO is now in serious trouble and in flux...

https://www.washingtonpost.com/graph...ts-next-biden/

What you don't understand is I read the article you referenced, and quoted what you left out in your post. You can be happy with your conspiracy theory but the article you quoted belies that.
And posting different articles or attempting to change the focus of your original post does not in any way prove your thesis.