If you haven’t received a federal economic stimulus check this year, you probably haven’t taken the proper steps to get one.

And, you are not alone. There are 754 people in Douglas County who potentially could still get the check, according to the Internal Revenue Service. In Topeka, 2,400 people still might receive a check, and statewide, the potential recipients number more than 33,000.

“Some of them, I’m sure, are not aware that they can file for it,” said Robbie Arney, a representative for H&R Block in the Lawrence and Topeka area.

People who don’t normally have to file a tax return must do so to qualify for a stimulus payment. That includes people who receive certain Social Security or Veterans Affairs benefits. The deadline for filing a return is Oct. 15.

For people who have no tax liability and who are not normally required to file a return because their income is too low, there is still a stimulus payment of up to $300, or $600 for married couples.

Others who might qualify are those who received an extension to file their 2007 tax return.

The number of people who have not filed for a stimulus check was not surprising to Arney.

“There are a lot of people who could be homebound or they are in a nursing home,” she said. “Even if you are in a nursing home, you could qualify.”

In a recent news release, the IRS asked people to check on their elderly relatives and friends as well as disabled veterans to see whether they are aware of what needs to be done to get the checks.

At the end of August, the IRS had issued $93 billion in stimulus payments to 114 million people.