SSDI recipients automatically received the third stimulus check without filing a separate tax return

The third stimulus payment, distributed starting in March 2021, went to most Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) recipients without any action required on their part. The Social Security Administration used the same payment method it uses for regular monthly benefits — direct deposit to your bank account or a debit card, depending on how you receive your SSDI payments.

You did not need to file a 2020 tax return to receive this payment. The IRS and Social Security shared information to identify who was may have access to to the money, and payments were sent automatically. If you received SSDI in 2020, you almost certainly received the third stimulus check between March and December 2021.

The payment amount was $1,400 per person. Married couples filing jointly received $2,800 if both were SSDI recipients. Children claimed as dependents on a parent's tax return received $1,400 each.

Key Takeaways

  • SSDI recipients received the third stimulus payment automatically without filing taxes or taking any action.
  • The payment was sent through the same method you use to receive your monthly SSDI benefit — direct deposit or debit card.
  • The payment amount was $1,400 per person, with no income limits for SSDI recipients.
  • If you did not receive the payment by the end of 2021, you could claim it on your 2021 tax return using IRS Form 1040.

How the IRS identified SSDI recipients for payment

The IRS did not send a separate notice to SSDI recipients. Instead, the Social Security Administration provided the IRS with a list of people receiving SSDI benefits as of a specific date in 2020. The IRS used that list to determine who was may have access to to the third stimulus check.

This automatic process meant that SSDI recipients did not have to prove their income or file paperwork. The government already had the information it needed — your Social Security number, your address on file with Social Security, and your benefit amount. If you had moved or changed your address with Social Security, the payment went to the address Social Security had on record.

When the third stimulus check was sent to SSDI recipients

The IRS began sending third stimulus payments in mid-March 2021. SSDI recipients who received benefits by direct deposit typically saw the money in their bank accounts within one to two weeks of the initial announcement. Those who received benefits on a debit card had the payment added to their card account on a similar timeline.

The IRS continued sending payments throughout 2021 to people who became SSDI recipients after the initial batch or whose information was corrected in the system. By the end of 2021, nearly all SSDI recipients who were may have access to to the payment had received it.

What to do if you did not receive the third stimulus check

If you were receiving SSDI in 2020 but did not receive the third stimulus payment by the end of 2021, you had the option to claim it on your 2021 tax return. You would file Form 1040 (U.S. Individual Income Tax Return) and claim the Recovery Rebate Credit for the amount you did not receive.

To claim the credit, you needed to report the payment amount you were may have access to to ($1,400 for a single person, $2,800 for married filing jointly, plus $1,400 for each dependent) and subtract any amount you actually received. The difference became a credit on your tax return, which could result in a refund.

This process required filing a tax return even if you normally did not file one. Many SSDI recipients who did not file taxes in previous years had to file a 2021 return to claim the missing stimulus payment. The important date to claim the credit on a 2021 return was April 18, 2022.

SSDI recipients with representative payees

If you had a representative payee — someone appointed by Social Security to manage your benefits because you were unable to do so — the third stimulus payment still went to you, not to your payee. The payment was sent to your bank account or debit card, the same way your monthly SSDI benefit was sent.

Your representative payee did not have the right to take the stimulus payment. It was your money, and Social Security treated it the same as your monthly benefit. If your payee tried to take the payment or refused to give it to you, you could report this to Social Security's Office of the Inspector General or contact your local Social Security office.

Stimulus payments and SSI versus SSDI

SSDI recipients and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients were treated differently for the third stimulus payment. SSDI is based on your work history; SSI is a needs-based program for people with low income and resources.

SSDI recipients received the full $1,400 payment with no income limits or resource limits. SSI recipients also received $1,400, but the payment did not count as income or resources for SSI purposes — meaning it did not reduce your monthly SSI benefit or affect your may be able to access. Both groups received payments automatically without taking action.

Frequently Asked Questions

Did the third stimulus payment reduce my SSDI benefit?

No. The third stimulus payment did not count as income and did not affect your monthly SSDI benefit amount. Your benefit continued at the same rate before and after you received the payment. This was true even if you received the payment in the same month as your regular benefit.

What if I moved after receiving SSDI but before the stimulus payment was sent?

If you updated your address with Social Security before the payment was sent, the check went to your new address. If you did not update your address and the payment was sent to an old address, you could have filed a 2021 tax return to claim the Recovery Rebate Credit for the amount you did not receive.

Can I still claim the third stimulus payment if I did not receive it?

The important date to claim the third stimulus payment on your 2021 tax return was April 18, 2022. If you missed that important date, you cannot claim it now. Contact the IRS directly if you believe you were may have access to to the payment but did not receive it and did not file a 2021 return.

Did my spouse receive a separate payment if only one of us was on SSDI?

No. The third stimulus payment was based on your 2020 tax return or your SSDI status in 2020. If only one spouse was receiving SSDI and the other was not, only the SSDI recipient received the $1,400 payment. The non-SSDI spouse would have needed to file a 2020 tax return to receive a payment based on that return.