Treasury checks to individuals could start this week, senior official says

[December 29, 2020]    (Reuters) - The U.S. Treasury Department is anticipating sending the first wave of $600 stimulus checks to U.S. individuals and households as early as this week, as previously planned, a senior Treasury official said on Monday.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury is seen in Washington, D.C., U.S., August 30, 2020. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File Photo

The Treasury would also send top-up payments to those who have already been issued checks if Congress increases the amount as President Donald Trump has demanded. On Sunday, Trump signed a $2.3 trillion pandemic aid and government spending package, passed the previous week, after threatening to block it unless lawmakers agreed to increase the payments to $2,000.

(Reporting By Dan Burns; Editing by Dan Grebler)

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