By: Trev E. Peterson
No, debtors in Chapter 13 cases do not have to include the COVID-19 stimulus payments received from the federal government in income payable to the Chapter 13 trustee under a Chapter 13 plan. Congress specifically excluded the COVID-19 stimulus payments from the definition of income in computing debtors’ disposable net income. So if you are currently making payments in a Chapter 13 case, the stimulus payment you have received or will receive is not income and does not have to be turned over to the Chapter 13 trustee.
Congress requires that I disclose that our firm is a “debt relief agency” under the Bankruptcy Code. We help people file for bankruptcy relief under the Bankruptcy Code. As with all articles on this website, the contents of this article are not intended as legal advice for any specific legal problem. Nothing in this article is intended to create an attorney-client relationship between the author and the reader. The author is licensed to practice law in Nebraska only, if you are involved with a bankruptcy in a state other than Nebraska you are encouraged to consult with an attorney licensed in the state in which the bankruptcy case is pending