SSDI recipients got the third stimulus check automatically in 2021

If you received Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), you were sent the third stimulus payment without having to do anything. The payment went out between March and December 2021. The IRS and Social Security coordinated to send checks to people already in the system—no separate process was needed.

The third stimulus was different from the first two. Because Social Security had your current address and banking information on file, the IRS used that data to mail or deposit your payment. If you were receiving SSDI benefits when the payment was issued, you should have received it.

The amount was $1,400 per person. If you had a spouse who also received SSDI, they got their own $1,400. Children claimed as dependents on a tax return also received $1,400 each, but Social Security did not automatically send those—the person filing the tax return had to claim them.

Key Takeaways

  • SSDI recipients received the third stimulus payment automatically between March and December 2021 with no action required on their part.
  • The payment was $1,400 per person and was sent to the address or bank account Social Security had on file.
  • If you did not receive a payment you believe you were owed, you could claim it on your 2021 tax return as a Recovery Rebate Credit.
  • The IRS used Social Security's records to identify who should receive the payment, so people not yet on SSDI when the check was issued did not automatically get one.

How the third stimulus was different from the first two

The first two stimulus payments (in 2020 and 2021) required SSDI recipients to take action in some cases. Many people on SSDI did not file tax returns, so they had to submit a form to the IRS to receive their payment. The third stimulus changed that process.

For the third payment, Social Security and the IRS shared information directly. If you were receiving SSDI in March 2021, when the IRS began sending the third stimulus, your payment was processed through Social Security's records. You did not need to file a tax return or submit any forms. The payment arrived by direct deposit or check, depending on how you normally receive your benefits.

This automatic process meant fewer people were left out. However, it also meant the payment was based on Social Security's records as of a specific date. If your circumstances changed between when the IRS pulled the data and when the check was sent, the payment amount might not have reflected your current situation.

What to do if you did not receive the third stimulus

If you were receiving SSDI in 2021 and did not get the $1,400 payment, the first step was to check your bank account or mail carefully. Payments were sent over many months, so some arrived later than others. The IRS also had a tool called "Get My Payment" on its website where you could track the status of your check.

If the payment was truly missing, you could claim it on your 2021 tax return as a Recovery Rebate Credit. This meant filing a return (or amending one you already filed) and claiming the $1,400 as a credit. When you did this, the IRS would either send you the money or explore it to any taxes you owed.

Some people on SSDI do not file tax returns because their income is below the threshold that requires filing. If that was your situation, you could still file a return just to claim the Recovery Rebate Credit. The IRS had a free file program for people with low income, and many nonprofits offered free tax preparation help.

Dependents and the third stimulus

If you had children or other dependents, the situation was more complicated. SSDI recipients do not automatically claim dependents on a tax return—that usually happens only if you file taxes. The third stimulus payment for dependents was tied to whoever filed the tax return claiming them.

If you filed a 2020 tax return claiming a child as a dependent, the IRS used that information to send a $1,400 payment for that child along with your own stimulus. But if you did not file a return, the IRS had no record that you had a dependent, and no payment was sent for them.

To get the dependent payment, you had to file a 2021 tax return claiming the child. Again, the Recovery Rebate Credit was the tool to use. You would claim the credit for yourself ($1,400) and for each dependent ($1,400 each), and the IRS would send the total or explore it to taxes owed.

Timing of the third stimulus payments

The IRS did not send all third stimulus payments at once. The first payments went out in mid-March 2021 to people with direct deposit on file. Checks by mail followed over the next several months. By the end of 2021, most payments had been sent, but some arrived as late as December.

The delay depended partly on how you received your SSDI benefits. If your benefits were deposited directly into a bank account, your stimulus usually arrived faster—sometimes within days of when the IRS processed it. If you received a paper check, it took longer because of mail delivery time.

Some people's payments were delayed because of issues with Social Security's records—for example, if an address was outdated or a bank account was closed. In those cases, the IRS would try to send a replacement check, but it could take weeks or months to arrive.

What happened if your payment was sent to a closed account

If your bank account was closed before the IRS sent your stimulus, the payment could be returned to the IRS. The IRS would then issue a replacement check and mail it to the address on file with Social Security. This process added time—sometimes several weeks—before you received the payment.

If you moved and did not update your address with Social Security before the check was sent, the payment might have gone to your old address. In that case, you would not receive it unless the person at that address forwarded it to you. The safest approach was to claim the payment on your 2021 tax return using the Recovery Rebate Credit.

If you believe your payment was lost or sent to the wrong place, you can still claim it. File a 2021 tax return (or amend the one you filed) and claim the Recovery Rebate Credit for the full $1,400. The IRS will investigate and send you the money if they confirm you did not receive it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to pay back the third stimulus if I received it?

No. The third stimulus payment was not a loan. You do not have to repay it under any circumstances, even if your income changes or you receive other benefits. Once you received it, it was yours to keep.

What if I received the third stimulus but I was not supposed to?

The IRS made very few mistakes in sending the third stimulus to SSDI recipients. If you received a payment and you were on SSDI at the time, you were may have access to to it. You do not need to return it or report it as income on your taxes.

Can I claim the third stimulus on my taxes if I already received it?

No. The Recovery Rebate Credit is only for people who did not receive the payment they were owed. If you already got your $1,400, you cannot claim it again on your tax return. Claiming it twice is considered tax fraud.

What if I went on SSDI after the third stimulus was sent?

If you were not receiving SSDI when the IRS sent the third stimulus in 2021, you did not automatically get a payment. However, you could claim the $1,400 on your 2021 tax return using the Recovery Rebate Credit, as long as you were a U.S. citizen or resident alien and met the other requirements.

How do I know if the third stimulus was deposited into my account?

Check your bank statements from March through December 2021. The deposit should show as coming from the U.S. Department of Treasury. If you cannot find it, contact your bank to ask if a payment was returned or rejected. You can also use the IRS "Get My Payment" tool on the IRS website to see the status of your payment.