SSDI recipients were included in all three rounds of stimulus payments

If you receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), you were automatically included in the three rounds of stimulus checks issued between 2020 and 2021. You did not have to do anything special to receive them—the Social Security Administration (SSA) sent the payments to you using the same account or mailing address they had on file.

The three payments were: $1,200 in spring 2020, $600 in December 2020, and $1,400 in spring 2021. SSDI recipients received these payments whether or not they filed a tax return that year, which was different from how some other groups had to claim them.

If you did not receive a payment you believe you were owed, or if you received one but it was lost or stolen, there are specific steps to take. The process depends on which round of payments you are asking about and what happened to the money.

Key Takeaways

  • SSDI recipients did not need to explore or take action to receive any of the three stimulus payments—the SSA sent them automatically.
  • Payments were sent to the bank account or address the SSA had on file, so updating your contact information with Social Security before each round would have ensured delivery.
  • If you did not receive a payment, you can check the status using the IRS's "Get My Payment" tool or by calling the SSA directly.
  • If a check was mailed and lost, or if direct deposit failed, you can request a replacement or have the IRS investigate the payment.

How the SSA sent stimulus payments to SSDI recipients

The Social Security Administration used two methods to send stimulus money. If you had set up direct deposit with Social Security—either for your regular SSDI payment or for any other reason—the stimulus was deposited into that same account. If you had not set up direct deposit, the SSA mailed a paper check to your address on file.

This meant that if your address or banking information had changed since your last update with Social Security, the payment might have gone to an old location. Many people did not realize they needed to update their contact details with the SSA before each stimulus round, and some payments were mailed to addresses they no longer used.

The SSA did not send notices in advance telling you a stimulus payment was coming. The first sign was often the money appearing in your account or a check arriving in the mail.

What to do if you did not receive a stimulus payment

Start by checking whether the payment was actually sent to you. The IRS maintains a tool called "Get My Payment" that shows the status of all three stimulus payments. You can access it on the IRS website by entering your Social Security number, date of birth, and mailing address. The tool will tell you whether a payment was issued, when it was sent, and how it was sent (direct deposit or check).

If the tool shows a payment was issued by direct deposit but you never saw the money, contact your bank to ask whether the deposit was rejected or returned. Banks sometimes reject deposits if the account was closed or if there was a mismatch in account information. Your bank can tell you what happened and whether the money was sent back to the IRS.

If the tool shows a check was mailed but you never received it, the check may have been lost in the mail, sent to an old address, or stolen. In this case, you can file a claim with the IRS to request a replacement check or to have them investigate the payment. You will need to contact the IRS directly—either by phone or by mail—to start this process.

Contacting the IRS about a missing stimulus payment

The IRS has a dedicated phone line for stimulus payment questions. The number is 1-800-829-1040, and it is available Monday through Friday. Wait times are often long, especially during tax season, so consider calling early in the morning or later in the week.

When you call, have your Social Security number, date of birth, and mailing address ready. Tell the representative that you did not receive a stimulus payment and provide the year or round you are asking about (2020, December 2020, or 2021). They can look up the payment status and either issue a replacement check or open an investigation if the payment appears to have been lost.

If you prefer not to call, you can also file a claim by mail. The IRS website has a form and mailing address for stimulus payment disputes. This process takes longer—usually several weeks—but it creates a paper record of your claim.

If a stimulus check was cashed by someone else

If you received a stimulus check in the mail but someone else cashed it without your permission, contact the IRS when ready. This is considered fraud, and the IRS can investigate and issue you a replacement payment.

You will need to report the check number (found on the front of the check) and the date it was cashed. If you still have the envelope the check came in, that will have the check number printed on it. The IRS can trace where the check was deposited and work with law enforcement if needed.

In the meantime, you may also want to file a police report, especially if someone in your household or someone you know took the check. This creates an official record and may help with the IRS investigation.

Stimulus payments and your SSDI benefits going forward

The three stimulus payments issued in 2020 and 2021 were one-time payments and did not affect your regular SSDI benefit amount. They were not counted as income for purposes of determining your ongoing SSDI may be able to access, and they did not reduce future payments.

There have been no additional rounds of stimulus payments since 2021. If you see advertisements or receive calls claiming to help you get a "new" stimulus check or a fourth payment, those are scams. The only legitimate stimulus payments were the three issued by the IRS and SSA between 2020 and 2021.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to pay taxes on the stimulus money I received?

No. The stimulus payments were not taxable income, and you do not report them on your tax return. If a tax preparer or someone else tells you that you owe taxes on stimulus money, they are mistaken.

What if I received a stimulus payment but I think it was the wrong amount?

Use the IRS "Get My Payment" tool to confirm the amount that was issued to you. The amounts were fixed: $1,200, $600, or $1,400 depending on the round. If the tool shows you received less than that, contact the IRS at 1-800-829-1040 to report it and request the difference.

Can I claim a stimulus payment I missed on my tax return?

If you did not receive one of the three payments and the IRS did not issue a replacement, you may be able to claim it as a credit on your tax return for that year. Speak with a tax preparer or contact the IRS to learn whether you still may have access to for this option, as the important date has passed for some years.

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

If a check was mailed to your old address, it may have been returned to the IRS or lost. Use "Get My Payment" to see the status, and if a check was issued, contact the IRS to request a replacement sent to your current address. Update your address with Social Security as soon as possible to prevent this with future payments.