Ernst seeks IRS assurance pandemic relief checks make it to domestic violence survivors

U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) this week asked the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to establish procedures to ensure those who have chosen to separate from their domestic abuser are able to safely access stimulus checks being provided under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

After hearing from Iowans, including members of the Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Sen. Ernst – herself a survivor of domestic abuse and sexual assault – sent an April 6 letter to IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig requesting that domestic violence survivors who are in vulnerable positions receive their direct cash payments, regardless of their living situation.

“Even in normal circumstances, leaving an abusive situation requires immense courage and has ongoing emotional and financial struggles. Including domestic violence resources when providing Americans details on how to collect their stimulus, including information on how survivors can get access, is vital to their livelihood and ability to build a new life,” wrote Sen. Ernst. “The IRS must ensure that survivors are able to receive their stimulus check safely.”

The CARES Act, which was signed into law on March 27, provides qualifying Americans with a stimulus check of $1,200 per person, $2,400 per couple, and an additional $500 for each child claimed as a dependent on a 2018 or 2019 tax return, if already filed.

“Due to the shelter-in-place mandates currently in place throughout the nation, as well as increased anxiety and economic uncertainty, domestic violence victims are particularly vulnerable” to accessing their checks, Sen. Ernst wrote.

In the CARES Act, Sen. Ernst also supported additional funding for domestic violence shelters and domestic violence coalitions and nearly $2 million to bolster the National Domestic Violence Hotline.

“During this crisis, every American deserves the promise of economic stability, and survivors are no different,” she wrote.