SSDI recipients are generally treated the same as other taxpayers for stimulus payments

If you receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), you are not automatically excluded from stimulus checks. The IRS treats SSDI the same way it treats regular Social Security retirement benefits: you may receive a stimulus payment if you meet the income and filing requirements for that particular stimulus round.

The key factor is your total income, not the source of that income. SSDI counts toward your adjusted gross income (AGI) when the IRS determines whether you fall below the income threshold. If your SSDI payments plus any other income keep you under the limit, you should receive the payment. If your income exceeds the threshold, you will not.

The income limits and payment amounts have varied across different stimulus rounds. For example, the 2021 American Rescue Plan stimulus had different thresholds than the 2020 CARES Act stimulus. You need to know which round you are asking about to understand whether your specific SSDI income level would have may have access to you.

Key Takeaways

  • SSDI income counts toward your total income when determining stimulus payment may be able to access, so receiving SSDI does not automatically disqualify you or may provide you a payment.
  • Each stimulus round has had different income thresholds, so whether you may have access to depends on which payment year you are asking about and what your total income was that year.
  • If you did not receive a stimulus check you believed you were owed, you can claim it as a credit on your tax return for that year.
  • The IRS uses your most recent tax return or, if you did not file, information from SSA records to determine who receives payments.

How the IRS determines stimulus may be able to access for SSDI recipients

The IRS does not send stimulus checks based on program enrollment. Instead, it uses your tax filing status and income from your most recent tax return. If you did not file a tax return, the IRS can use information it receives from the Social Security Administration about your SSDI payments.

Your adjusted gross income (AGI) is what matters. If you have SSDI as your only income and no other earnings, your AGI is your SSDI amount for that year. The IRS then compares that to the income threshold for that stimulus round. Single filers, heads of household, and married couples filing jointly have different thresholds.

One important detail: some SSDI recipients do not file tax returns because their income is below the filing requirement. If you fall into this group, you still may have received stimulus payments. The IRS worked with SSA to identify non-filers and send them payments automatically, though some people had to take an extra step to claim the payment.

Income thresholds for past stimulus rounds

The 2020 CARES Act stimulus provided $1,200 per adult with a phase-out beginning at $75,000 AGI for single filers, $112,500 for heads of household, and $150,000 for married couples filing jointly. The payment reduced by $5 for every $100 over the threshold.

The 2021 American Rescue Plan stimulus provided $1,400 per person with a phase-out beginning at $80,000 AGI for single filers, $120,000 for heads of household, and $160,000 for married couples filing jointly.

The 2020 second stimulus (December 2020) provided $600 per person with the same income thresholds as the CARES Act.

If your SSDI income fell below these thresholds in the relevant year, you should have received the payment. If you did not receive it and you believe you were owed it, you can claim the Recovery Rebate Credit on your tax return for that year.

What to do if you did not receive a stimulus check

If you believe you were owed a stimulus payment but did not receive it, the IRS allows you to claim it as a credit on your tax return. This is called the Recovery Rebate Credit. You can claim it for any stimulus round you did not receive.

To claim the credit, you will need to file a tax return for the year in question, even if you normally do not file. You can use IRS Form 1040 or 1040-SR (for people 65 and older) and attach Schedule 3 to claim the Recovery Rebate Credit. The IRS instructions for that year will walk you through the calculation.

If you need help filing, the IRS offers free tax preparation through VITA (Volunteer Income Tax information) sites, which are located in many communities. You can find a VITA site near you on the IRS website. Some disability advocacy organizations also offer free tax help to people on SSDI.

SSDI and other income sources that affect stimulus may be able to access

If you have SSDI plus other income—such as earnings from work, interest, or other benefits—all of it counts toward your AGI. This can push you over the income threshold even if your SSDI alone would have may have access to you.

Work incentive programs like the Student Earned Income Exclusion (SEIE) or Plan to Achieve Self-Support (PASS) can reduce your countable income for SSDI purposes, but they do not reduce your AGI for tax purposes. The IRS uses your actual income, not your countable income under SSDI rules.

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is different from SSDI. SSI is a needs-based program, and SSI payments are not counted as income for stimulus purposes. If you receive SSI instead of SSDI, you may have been treated differently in some stimulus rounds.

Why the IRS may not have your current address

Some SSDI recipients did not receive stimulus checks because the IRS did not have a current mailing address on file. The IRS relies on your most recent tax return address or, if you have not filed recently, the address SSA has for you.

If you moved and did not update your address with either the IRS or SSA, a check may have been sent to an old address. You can check the status of past stimulus payments on the IRS website using the "Get My Payment" tool, though that tool is no longer active for all stimulus rounds.

If a check was sent to an old address and you never received it, you can still claim the Recovery Rebate Credit on your tax return. You do not need to have received the physical check to claim the credit.

Stimulus payments and SSDI work incentives

Stimulus payments do not count as income for SSDI purposes. They are one-time payments and are not treated as earnings or unearned income that would affect your SSDI benefit amount or your work incentive calculations.

This means you could receive a stimulus check without it affecting your SSDI benefits, your Medicare coverage, or your may be able to access for Medicaid. The payment is separate from your ongoing income for SSDI purposes.

However, if you spent the stimulus money and it is still in your bank account at the end of a month, it could count as a resource if you also receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI). SSDI has no resource limit, but SSI does. If you receive both programs, keep records of how you spent the stimulus payment to show it is no longer a resource.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get a stimulus check if I only receive SSDI and have no other income?

Yes, if your SSDI income is below the threshold for that stimulus round. For example, if you received $1,200 per month in SSDI in 2021, your annual income would be $14,400, which is well below the $80,000 threshold for single filers in the American Rescue Plan stimulus. You should have received the payment.

Does receiving SSDI automatically disqualify me from stimulus payments?

No. SSDI is treated like any other income source. The IRS looks at your total income, not where it comes from. Many SSDI recipients received stimulus payments because their income fell below the threshold.

What if I did not file taxes and did not receive a stimulus check?

You can still claim the Recovery Rebate Credit on a tax return for that year. You will need to file a return even if you normally do not file. The VITA program offers free tax help, and many disability organizations provide free tax preparation for people on SSDI.

If I received a stimulus check, will it affect my SSDI benefits?

No. Stimulus payments are not counted as income for SSDI purposes. They will not reduce your benefit amount or affect your may be able to access. If you also receive SSI, the payment could count as a resource if you still have it in your account, so spend it or document how you spent it.

How do I know which stimulus round I am asking about?

There were three main stimulus rounds: the 2020 CARES Act ($1,200), the December 2020 second stimulus ($600), and the 2021 American Rescue Plan ($1,400). Each had different income thresholds. If you are unsure which payment you did not receive, check the IRS website or contact a tax preparer who can review your records.