SSDI payments did not receive a permanent increase in July 2022, but a one-time payment was issued to some recipients

In July 2022, the Social Security Administration sent a one-time payment of $200 to most people receiving Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). This was not a raise to your monthly benefit amount. It was a single extra payment authorized by Congress as part of the American Rescue Plan Act, passed in March 2021. The payment went to SSDI recipients, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients, and some other Social Security beneficiaries who met specific conditions.

The $200 payment arrived in bank accounts or by check during the week of July 25, 2022. If you received SSDI in July 2022 and did not see this payment, it may have been because you did not meet the may be able to access requirements for that particular one-time distribution, or there was a processing error on your account.

Key Takeaways

  • The $200 payment in July 2022 was a one-time distribution, not a permanent increase to monthly SSDI benefits.
  • You had to be receiving SSDI benefits in the month of June 2022 to receive the one-time $200 payment.
  • The payment was separate from the annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), which happens in October each year based on inflation.
  • If you did not receive the $200 payment and believe you should have, you can contact Social Security to report the issue.

Who received the $200 one-time payment

Social Security sent the $200 payment to people who were receiving SSDI benefits as of June 2022. You did not have to do anything to receive it—the payment was automatic if you met that one condition. The payment was issued regardless of your benefit amount, work history, or other income.

The payment also went to SSI recipients, retired workers, and survivors receiving Social Security benefits, as long as they were on the rolls in June 2022. Veterans receiving benefits through the Department of Veterans Affairs also received a similar one-time payment around the same time.

Why this payment happened and what it was not

Congress authorized this one-time $200 payment in response to inflation and rising costs of living. It was meant to provide temporary relief to people on fixed incomes. However, it was not a permanent change to how SSDI works, and it did not affect your ongoing monthly payment amount.

This payment was separate from the annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA). COLA happens every October and adjusts monthly benefits based on inflation from the previous year. In October 2022, SSDI recipients received a COLA increase of 8.7 percent—the largest increase in four decades—but that was a different event from the July $200 payment.

What to do if you did not receive the $200 payment

If you were receiving SSDI in June 2022 but did not see the $200 payment in July, contact Social Security directly. You can call 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. your local time. Have your Social Security number ready when you call.

When you contact Social Security, explain that you did not receive the one-time $200 payment. They can check your account to see whether the payment was issued and, if so, where it was sent. If there was an error—for example, if your address or bank account information was incorrect—Social Security can investigate and reissue the payment if needed.

How the one-time payment affected your benefits and taxes

The $200 payment did not reduce your monthly SSDI benefit in any month. It was added to your account without affecting your ongoing payments. However, like all SSDI income, the payment may have been counted as income for purposes of other means-tested programs you receive, such as Medicaid or food information. Check with those programs if you are unsure whether the payment affected your other benefits.

For tax purposes, the $200 payment was not taxable income on your federal tax return. Social Security did not issue a 1099 form for this payment because it was not considered taxable Social Security income. If you filed taxes for 2022, you did not need to report the $200 payment.

The difference between one-time payments and permanent increases

One-time payments like the $200 in July 2022 are temporary relief measures. They happen once and do not change your regular monthly benefit. A permanent increase, by contrast, changes your benefit amount going forward every month. COLA adjustments are permanent—once they take effect in October, your new higher amount continues every month until the next COLA adjustment.

Congress can authorize one-time payments during economic hardship or inflation spikes. These are not common, and they are not may provide to happen every year. Your regular monthly SSDI benefit is determined by your work history and the age at which you became disabled, and it changes only through COLA or if Social Security recalculates your record for a specific reason.

Frequently Asked Questions

Did the $200 payment count as income for SSI or other benefits?

The $200 payment may have been counted as income for SSI, Medicaid, food information, or other means-tested programs. Rules vary by program. Contact the program directly to ask whether the payment affected your benefits that month or going forward.

Will there be another one-time payment like this in the future?

One-time payments are authorized by Congress on a case-by-case basis and are not predictable. There is no set schedule for them. Your regular monthly benefit is your primary source of income, and any one-time payments are additional and temporary.

What if I received the payment but I should not have?

Contact Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 to report the issue. Do not spend the money if you believe it was sent in error. Social Security may ask you to return it, and keeping money you are not may have access to to can create problems with your account.

How does the $200 payment relate to the COLA increase in October 2022?

They are separate events. The July $200 was a one-time payment authorized by Congress. The October 2022 COLA increase of 8.7 percent was the annual adjustment to your regular monthly benefit based on inflation. Both happened in 2022, but they are not connected.