Millions of people receiving Supplemental Security Income benefits no longer need to file a tax return to get a stimulus payment from the federal government.

"SSI recipients with no qualifying children do not need to take any action in order to receive their $1,200 economic impact payment. The payments will be automatic," the Treasury secretary said.

Many people on SSI were at risk of missing out on the $1,200 stimulus checks because they don't usually file tax returns.

The Treasury said their payments would arrive by early May.

Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Americans receiving Supplemental Security Income benefits will no longer need to file a tax return to get a stimulus check, the Treasury Department announced on Wednesday.

"SSI recipients with no qualifying children do not need to take any action in order to receive their $1,200 economic impact payment. The payments will be automatic," Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a press release.

Mnuchin, though, said recipients with qualifying children — those younger than 17 — should enter their information in an IRS portal to ensure they get an additional $500 for each child they have.

Read more: The 8 most important things to know about the $1,200 stimulus checks going out to Americans during the coronavirus pandemic

The Treasury said SSI recipients would see the money directly sent to them by early May at the latest through direct deposit, paper check, or Direct Express debit card.

Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio had advocated for the change, and he praised the decision in a tweet.

"Glad the IRS is listening to us," he said on Twitter. "People should not have to jump though bureaucratic hoops to get their stimulus checks."

Brown called it "a huge win for SSI beneficiaries."

People receiving Social Security benefits are also set to get the $1,200 stimulus payments. The Treasury said earlier this week that about 80 million Americans would see the checks directly deposited into their bank accounts by Wednesday.

People earning below $75,000 are set to get the full $1,200 check, but the amount scales down until eligibility cuts off at $99,000.

Read more: Bank of America's wealth-management chief overseeing $2.7 trillion says investors must make 3 permanent changes to thrive in a market ravaged by the coronavirus

The same goes for couples earning below $150,000, but they no longer qualify for a check if they make above $198,000.

USA Today reported that people who didn't their file taxes because they earned less than $12,000 — about 10 million Americans — were at risk of missing out on the payments. That included many SSI recipients.

The SSI program provides cash assistance to the most vulnerable Americans, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. More than 8 million people rely on SSI, and many tend to be people who are elderly or have disabilities and do not qualify for Social Security.

About 1.2 million kids with disabilities benefit from the program, the CBPP said.