Stimulus checks for SSDI recipients can be delayed for several reasons, most often because Social Security has incomplete or outdated information about you

If you receive SSDI and expected a stimulus check that never arrived, the delay usually falls into one of three categories: Social Security doesn't have your current address, the payment went to a bank account that no longer exists, or there's a discrepancy between what Social Security has on file and what the IRS has on file. Unlike a regular paycheck, stimulus payments require both agencies to match their records, and when they don't, the check gets held.

The good news is that stimulus checks don't expire. If yours was delayed, you can still receive it—but you may need to take action to fix the underlying problem. The steps you take depend on which of these three issues is causing the delay.

Key Takeaways

  • Stimulus checks for SSDI recipients are most often delayed because Social Security has the wrong address or bank account on file.
  • You can check the status of a stimulus payment through the IRS Get My Payment tool, which tells you whether the payment was mailed, deposited, or held up.
  • If your address changed after you applied for SSDI, you must update it with Social Security directly—the IRS cannot do this for you.
  • If a stimulus check was sent to a closed bank account, the bank returns it to the IRS, and you can claim it on your tax return or request a paper check instead.
  • Stimulus payments do not expire, so you can pursue a delayed check months or even years after the payment was originally issued.

How to check whether your stimulus check was actually sent

Before you assume your stimulus check is lost, you need to know what happened to it. The IRS provides a tool called Get My Payment that shows the status of each stimulus payment issued to you. You can access it at irs.gov, and it will tell you one of four things: the payment was deposited to a bank account (and which one), the payment was mailed to an address (and which one), the payment is still being processed, or the IRS has no record of a payment to you.

Write down exactly what Get My Payment tells you. If it says the payment was deposited to a bank account you no longer use, or mailed to an address where you no longer live, that is the source of your delay. If it says the IRS has no record of a payment to you at all, the problem is likely that Social Security and the IRS have conflicting information about your identity or address.

Keep the Get My Payment results in front of you when you contact Social Security or the IRS, because the agent will ask you to confirm what the tool showed.

When Social Security has the wrong address on file

Social Security and the IRS share information, but only at certain points in time. If you moved after you started receiving SSDI but before a stimulus payment was issued, Social Security may have your old address and the IRS may have your new one—or vice versa. When the addresses don't match, the IRS holds the payment until it can verify where you actually live.

To fix this, you must update your address directly with Social Security. You can do this by calling Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778), visiting a local Social Security office, or using your my Social Security account online at ssa.gov. Have your Social Security number and a current ID ready. Social Security will update your address in their system, but this change does not automatically reach the IRS—it can take several weeks for the two agencies to sync.

Once you have updated your address with Social Security, contact the IRS at 1-800-829-1040 and tell them you have corrected your address. Ask them to reissue your stimulus check. The IRS may mail a new check or deposit it to a bank account you provide.

When the payment went to a closed or wrong bank account

If Get My Payment shows that a stimulus check was deposited to a bank account, but that account is now closed or belongs to someone else, the bank rejected the deposit and sent the money back to the IRS. This is one of the most common reasons for delayed stimulus checks among SSDI recipients, especially if you changed banks or had an account closed without updating Social Security.

When a bank rejects a deposit, the IRS typically issues a paper check and mails it to the address they have on file. This can take four to six weeks. If you never received the paper check, it may have been mailed to an old address.

You have two options. First, you can claim the stimulus payment on your tax return for that year. When you file, you will report the payment as a credit you received, and if the IRS has no record of actually delivering it to you, they will issue it as a refund. Second, you can contact the IRS directly at 1-800-829-1040, tell them the original deposit was rejected, and ask them to issue a paper check to your current address or deposit it to a new bank account you specify.

When the IRS has no record of you at all

If Get My Payment says the IRS has no record of a stimulus payment to you, it usually means one of two things: Social Security did not report you to the IRS as an SSDI recipient, or there is a mismatch between your name, Social Security number, or date of birth in the two systems.

Start by confirming your information with Social Security. Call 1-800-772-1213 and ask them to verify that your name, date of birth, and Social Security number are correct in their system. Ask them specifically whether they have reported you to the IRS as a current SSDI recipient. If Social Security has the wrong information, they will correct it, but you should know that correcting a name or date of birth can take several weeks to process.

Once you have confirmed your information with Social Security, contact the IRS at 1-800-829-1040 and provide them with your correct details. Ask them to search their system again for any stimulus payments issued to you. If they still find nothing, ask whether you can claim the stimulus payment on your tax return for the year it was issued.

What to do if you have already waited months

Stimulus checks do not expire. If your check was delayed more than a year ago, you can still pursue it. The process is the same: check Get My Payment to see what happened, fix the underlying problem (address, bank account, or name mismatch), and then contact the IRS or Social Security to request reissuance.

If you have already filed a tax return for the year the stimulus was issued and did not claim the payment, you can file an amended return. Use Form 1040-X (Amended U.S. Individual Income Tax Return) and claim the stimulus credit for that year. Include a note explaining that you did not receive the payment. The IRS will review your amended return and issue the payment as a refund if they confirm they never delivered it to you.

Keep records of everything: your Get My Payment results, confirmation of address changes you made with Social Security, bank statements showing the account was closed, and any letters from the IRS or Social Security. These documents help if the IRS or Social Security disputes your claim.

Why some SSDI recipients never received stimulus checks at all

A small number of SSDI recipients did not receive any stimulus payment because Social Security did not include them in the initial report to the IRS. This sometimes happened to people who started receiving SSDI very close to the date the stimulus was issued, or to people whose SSDI status changed (for example, from SSI to SSDI) right before the payment was processed.

If this happened to you, the stimulus payment should still be available to you through your tax return. When you file your return for that year, claim the stimulus credit even though you did not receive a payment. The IRS will issue it as a refund. If you did not file a return that year because your income was below the filing threshold, you can still file a return now just to claim the stimulus credit—the IRS has no time limit for claiming these payments.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I call Social Security and ask them to contact the IRS about my stimulus check?

Social Security and the IRS do not have a direct communication line for individual stimulus payments. You must contact each agency separately. Social Security can update your address or verify your information, but only the IRS can reissue a stimulus payment or confirm its status. Call the IRS at 1-800-829-1040 after you have fixed any problems with Social Security.

What if I received a stimulus check but it was for the wrong amount?

Contact the IRS at 1-800-829-1040 with your Get My Payment results and explain the discrepancy. The IRS will review your SSDI status and income for that year to determine the correct amount. If you were overpaid, the IRS may ask you to return the difference; if you were underpaid, they will issue the additional amount.

Do I have to file taxes to get a delayed stimulus check?

Not necessarily. If you can fix the underlying problem (wrong address, closed bank account, or name mismatch) with Social Security and the IRS, they can reissue the check without you filing a return. However, if the IRS cannot locate you or verify your information, filing a return for that year is the most reliable way to claim the payment.

How long does it take to get a reissued stimulus check?

If the IRS reissues a paper check, allow four to six weeks for delivery. If they deposit it to a bank account you provide, it typically takes one to two weeks. If you claim it on a tax return, the IRS will include it in your refund, which takes three to four weeks to process after they accept your return.