After a chaotic start that saw hundreds of senior citizens endure long lines in the hot sun, the Office of Management and Budget announced late Tuesday that it has completed the distribution of the Social Security stipends on St. Thomas, and distribution is continuing smoothly on St. Croix and on St. John.
OMB is in the process of distributing $500 stipends to more than 22,000 recipients in the territory who are seniors or disabled adults. The money is coming from the American Rescue Plan Act State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund, which allows for helping households respond to the negative economic impacts of the pandemic.
On St. Croix, the distribution is taking place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Rudolph Schulterbrandt Agriculture Fair Complex based on a staggered alphabetical process, which is expected to be completed by Friday, according to the OMB press release.
Distribution was held at the Schneider Regional Medical Center parking lot on St. Thomas, and initially at the Viya building on St. Croix, where officials expected to hand out checks over two days starting Nov. 9. However, both sites were overrun on the first day the funds were available, prompting the government to extend distribution through the end of this week and implement a drive-through operation at the fairground on St. Croix.
A similar site was not available on St. Thomas, Government House said, but the extended deadline for picking up checks helped cut down on long lines at the hospital.
Recipients whose last name begins with M-R can pick up checks on St. Croix on Wednesday, and those whose last name begins with S-Z can pick up their checks on Thursday, the release stated. Residents who were unable to pick up their checks on their allotted day will be able to do so on Friday, it said.
On St. John, checks are available at the Office of the Administrator in Cruz Bay.
OMB also will send out the Social Security stipend checks through the mail to any resident who sends an email to arpa@omb.vi.gov with “SSA Stipend” in the subject line that includes the following information:
– Name
– Last four digits of their Social Security number
– Phone number
– Correct address
