Most people on SSDI received the second stimulus check automatically

If you were receiving Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) in December 2020, you almost certainly got the second stimulus check without having to do anything. The IRS used Social Security's records to identify SSDI recipients and sent the payment directly to the bank account or address on file with Social Security.

The second stimulus check was $600 per person (or $1,200 for a married couple filing jointly, plus $600 for each dependent child). It arrived between late December 2020 and early January 2021 for most people, though some payments took longer depending on how the IRS had to send them.

If you did not receive a payment and you were on SSDI at that time, the issue was usually one of a few specific problems—not that you were ineligible because of your SSDI status.

Key Takeaways

  • SSDI recipients were automatically sent the second stimulus check; you did not have to file taxes or take any action to receive it.
  • The payment was $600 per person, sent to the bank account or mailing address Social Security had on record for you.
  • If you did not receive the check, the most common reasons were a wrong address on file, a closed or changed bank account, or a payment sent to a representative payee instead of you.
  • You could check the status of your payment using the IRS's "Get My Payment" tool, which was available through 2021.

Why SSDI recipients got the check automatically

Congress designed the second stimulus payment to reach people quickly without requiring tax returns or applications. The IRS had a list of SSDI recipients from Social Security Administration records and used that list to send checks directly. This meant you did not have to file taxes, contact the IRS, or prove anything—your SSDI status was enough.

The payment was not counted as income for SSDI purposes and did not affect your benefits. It was a one-time payment separate from your monthly SSDI check.

If your address or bank account information was wrong

The most common reason an SSDI recipient did not receive the second stimulus check was that Social Security had an outdated mailing address or the bank account information was no longer valid. If the IRS tried to deposit the money to a closed account, the payment was returned and held by the IRS.

If this happened to you, you had the option to claim the payment on your 2020 tax return as the "Recovery Rebate Credit." You would file a 2020 return (even if you normally did not have to file) and claim the credit for the $600 payment you did not receive. This would result in a refund or credit toward any taxes owed.

Payments sent to a representative payee

If you have a representative payee—someone appointed by Social Security to manage your benefits because of a work-related disability or other reason—the second stimulus check may have been sent to that person instead of to you. A representative payee is legally responsible for using the money for your needs, but the payment goes to them first.

If you believed your representative payee did not give you the money or misused it, you could report this to Social Security's Office of Inspector General. However, the payment itself was not recoverable through the IRS once it had been sent.

Checking the status of your payment

The IRS provided a tool called "Get My Payment" that let you check whether your second stimulus check had been sent, how much it was, and where it was going. This tool was available through the end of 2021 and showed the payment status as of the last update the IRS had made.

If the tool showed your payment was sent but you never received it, the next step was usually to wait a few weeks (in case it was delayed in the mail) or contact your bank to ask whether a deposit had been attempted and rejected.

What to do if you still have not received the payment

If you were on SSDI in December 2020 and did not receive the $600 second stimulus check, your options depended on when you were trying to resolve it. If you were still within the tax year (by April 15, 2021), you could file a 2020 tax return and claim the Recovery Rebate Credit for the full $600.

If you missed that important date, the IRS generally did not reissue stimulus checks. However, you could still claim the credit on an amended 2020 return (Form 1040-X) if you had not already done so. The important date to amend a 2020 return was typically three years from the original filing date, though this could vary.

For questions specific to your situation, you could contact the IRS directly at 1-800-829-1040, though wait times were often long during the period when stimulus checks were being distributed.

The difference between the second and third stimulus checks

The third stimulus check, sent in 2021, worked similarly to the second one—SSDI recipients received it automatically. However, the third payment was larger ($1,400 per person) and the IRS had refined its process based on what went wrong with the second round. Fewer people reported missing the third payment, though the same issues (wrong address, closed bank account) could still cause problems.

If you received the second stimulus check, you were almost certainly on the IRS's list to receive the third one as well, assuming your address and bank information remained current with Social Security.

Frequently Asked Questions

Did I have to file taxes to get the second stimulus check on SSDI?

No. SSDI recipients received the second stimulus check automatically based on Social Security records. You did not have to file a tax return, contact the IRS, or take any action. The payment was sent without requiring you to do anything.

Was the stimulus check counted as income and did it affect my SSDI benefits?

No. The stimulus payment was not counted as income for SSDI purposes and did not reduce or affect your monthly benefits. It was a separate, one-time payment from the federal government.

What if my representative payee received the check instead of me?

A representative payee is legally required to use the money for your needs, but the payment goes to them first. If you believe the money was not used for your benefit, you can report this to Social Security's Office of Inspector General, though recovering the payment itself is difficult once it has been sent.

Can I still claim the second stimulus check if I missed it in 2020?

Yes, if you did not receive it, you could claim the Recovery Rebate Credit on your 2020 tax return or an amended return (Form 1040-X). The important date to amend is generally three years from the original filing date, though you should verify the current important date with the IRS or a tax professional.

Why did some SSDI recipients get the check and others did not?

The most common reasons were an outdated address on file with Social Security, a closed or changed bank account, or the payment being sent to a representative payee. If Social Security's records were incomplete or incorrect, the IRS could not locate you to send the payment.