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With President Donald Trump's name on it: the US government watchdog said the Treasury sent out coronavirus economic impact payments worth $1.4 billion to 1.1 million dead people WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 29: U.S. President Donald Trump's name appears on the coronavirus economic assistance checks that were sent to citizens across the country April 29, 2020 in Washington, DC. The initial 88 million payments totaling nearly $158 billion were sent by the Treasury Department last week as most of the country remains under stay-at-home orders due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images/AFPWASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 29: U.S. President Donald Trump's name appears on the coronavirus economic assistance checks that were sent to citizens across the country April 29, 2020 in Washington, DC. The initial 88 million payments totaling nearly $158 billion were sent by the Treasury Department last week as most of the country remains under stay-at-home orders due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images/AFP. ©GETTY IMAGES/AFP/File CHIP SOMODEVILLA

With President Donald Trump’s name on it: the US government watchdog said the Treasury sent out coronavirus economic impact payments worth $1.4 billion to 1.1 million dead peopleWASHINGTON, DC – APRIL 29: U.S. President Donald Trump’s name appears on the coronavirus economic assistance checks that were sent to citizens across the country April 29, 2020 in Washington, DC. The initial 88 million payments totaling nearly $158 billion were sent by the Treasury Department last week as most of the country remains under stay-at-home orders due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images/AFPWASHINGTON, DC – APRIL 29: U.S. President Donald Trump’s name appears on the coronavirus economic assistance checks that were sent to citizens across the country April 29, 2020 in Washington, DC. The initial 88 million payments totaling nearly $158 billion were sent by the Treasury Department last week as most of the country remains under stay-at-home orders due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images/AFP. ©GETTY IMAGES/AFP/File CHIP SOMODEVILLA

Washington (AFP) – The US Treasury sent checks designed to help stimulate the  economy devastated by COVID-19 to more than one million dead people, according to a government watchdog report Thursday.

The independent Government Accountability Office said that, since the Treasury began sending out cash to taxpayers in April to counter massive job losses due to the coronavirus pandemic, 160.4 million economic impact payments worth $269 billion have been made.

However, by April 30, when 120 million payments had been completed, payments worth $1.4 billion had been sent to 1.1 million dead people, according to the GAO.

It was not clear how many of those were due to mistakes in the Treasury’s systems and how many were deliberate fraudulent claims.

The payments of up to $1,200 a person were automatic for most people who filed taxes for 2018 and 2019 and for people on various government retirement and benefits programs.

“Some of these taxpayers may have been deceased at the time the payments were delivered,” it said.

The report noted that while the Internal Revenue Service, the US tax agency, has death records of Americans, the Treasury and its Bureau of Fiscal Service, which determined the stimulus payments, did not.

On May 6 the IRS issued a statement saying payments to deceased people should be returned.

However, the GAO noted, “IRS does not currently plan to take additional steps to notify ineligible recipients on how to return payments.”

Disclaimer: Validity of the above story is for 7 Days from original date of publishing. Source: AFP.