Not everyone on SSDI received every stimulus check

Whether you got a stimulus check as an SSDI recipient depended on your income, your filing status, and which round of payments it was. The three rounds of stimulus checks (2020, 2021, and 2021 again) each had slightly different rules, but they all used your tax return or Social Security records to decide who may have access to. If you received SSDI, you were not automatically included — the government had to verify that your income fell below the limit for that particular payment.

Most people on SSDI did receive the checks because SSDI income is typically low enough to meet the income thresholds. But some did not, either because their total household income was too high, because they were claimed as a dependent on someone else's tax return, or because the Social Security Administration did not have their banking information on file and could not deliver the payment.

Key Takeaways

  • SSDI recipients with income below the threshold for each round generally received stimulus checks, but receipt was not automatic.
  • If you were claimed as a dependent on another person's tax return, you did not receive your own stimulus check.
  • Payments went to the bank account Social Security had on file, so if that information was missing or outdated, you may not have received the money.
  • You can check the status of any stimulus payment you think you missed by visiting the IRS website or calling Social Security.

How the income limit worked for SSDI recipients

Each stimulus round set an income threshold. For the first two rounds, single filers with income over $75,000 and married filers with income over $150,000 received reduced payments or nothing. The third round raised those limits slightly. SSDI income counts toward this total, so if you had SSDI plus other income — such as wages, a pension, or rental income — the combined amount determined whether you may have access to.

Most SSDI recipients fall well below these thresholds. The average SSDI payment in 2024 is around $1,550 per month, which is roughly $18,600 per year. Unless you had significant other income, you would have met the income requirement. However, if you worked part-time while on SSDI, or if you received other benefits or income, your total could have pushed you over the limit for that round.

Why some SSDI recipients did not receive checks

Even if your income may have access to you, you might not have received a stimulus check for one of these reasons: you were claimed as a dependent on someone else's 2019 or 2020 tax return; Social Security did not have your current bank account information; you were incarcerated during the payment period; or the IRS could not match your information to their records.

The dependent issue affected many people. If your adult child or another family member claimed you as a dependent for tax purposes — even if you lived independently and received SSDI — you did not receive your own check. Instead, the person who claimed you might have received an additional payment, though this varied by round.

Payment delivery was another common problem. The IRS and Social Security tried to use direct deposit information they already had on file, but if that account was closed, if the routing number was wrong, or if Social Security had no banking details at all, the payment could not go through. In those cases, the IRS mailed a paper check, which sometimes took months to arrive or was lost in the mail.

How to learn about you missed a stimulus payment

The IRS maintains a record of all three stimulus payments. You can check the status of any payment by visiting the IRS website and using their "Get My Payment" tool, which asks for your Social Security number, date of birth, and address. This tool shows whether each payment was sent, how it was sent (direct deposit or check), and the date it was processed.

If the tool shows a payment was sent but you never received it, you have options. For direct deposit payments that went to a closed account, you may be able to claim the payment on your tax return for that year. For checks that were mailed but never arrived, you can request a replacement check from the IRS, though this process can take several months. Contact the IRS at 1-800-829-1040 to report a missing payment.

What to do if you think you were wrongly excluded

If you believe you should have received a stimulus check but did not, start by checking your payment status on the IRS website. If it shows no payment was sent, gather your tax return from that year and your SSDI award letter, which shows your income. These documents prove you met the income requirement.

You can then file a claim with the IRS. If you did not receive a payment you were owed, you can claim it as a credit on your tax return for that year. You will need to file a tax return even if you normally do not, because the credit is claimed there. The IRS will then process your claim and send you the money, usually within a few months of processing your return.

Stimulus checks and your SSDI benefits going forward

Stimulus payments did not affect your SSDI benefits. They were not counted as income for purposes of your monthly SSDI check, and they did not trigger a review of your case. The Social Security Administration treated stimulus payments as one-time federal information, not as earnings or resources that would change your benefit amount.

If you received a stimulus payment and it was deposited into a bank account, it may have affected your Supplemental Security Income (SSI) if you receive that program instead of or in addition to SSDI. SSI has strict resource limits, and large deposits can temporarily push you over the limit. However, most stimulus payments were treated as excluded resources for SSI purposes as well, meaning they did not count against your limit.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get a stimulus check now if I missed one?

The three rounds of stimulus payments ended in 2021. You cannot receive a new stimulus check, but if you did not receive one you were owed, you can claim it on your tax return for that year. Contact the IRS or visit their website to check your payment status first.

What if I was in a nursing home or hospital when the check was sent?

Your location did not disqualify you from receiving a stimulus check. If you were institutionalized but still receiving SSDI, you should have been sent a payment. Check the IRS website to see if it was processed, and contact them if it was not.

Do I have to pay back a stimulus check I received?

No. Stimulus checks were not loans and did not need to be repaid. Even if you later found out you were not supposed to receive one, you do not have to return it or pay it back.

If I receive SSDI now, could I have received a stimulus check in 2020 if I was not on SSDI then?

Possibly. Stimulus checks were based on your 2019 or 2020 tax return, not on your current SSDI status. If you had income below the threshold in either of those years, you may have been owed a payment even if you were not on SSDI at the time.