SSDI recipients and stimulus checks: what actually happened

There was no fourth stimulus check. The federal government issued three rounds of Economic Impact Payments during the COVID-19 pandemic: one in 2020, one in early 2021, and one in mid-2021. Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) recipients were included in all three rounds if they met the income requirements, but no fourth payment was authorized by Congress after that.

If you received three stimulus checks and are looking for a fourth, you may be thinking of a different payment—such as a tax refund, a state-level payment, or a benefit increase from Social Security. This article explains what stimulus payments SSDI recipients actually received, how to verify what you got, and what to do if you believe a payment went missing.

Key Takeaways

  • Three stimulus payments were issued between March 2020 and December 2021; no fourth federal stimulus check was created.
  • SSDI recipients received the same stimulus amounts as other Americans if their income fell below the phase-out threshold ($75,000 for single filers in 2020 and 2021).
  • Payments were deposited directly to the bank account on file with Social Security, or mailed as a check if no account was registered.
  • You can check the IRS website or call the Social Security Administration to confirm which payments you received and when.
  • If a payment never arrived, you may be able to claim it on your tax return or contact the IRS for a trace.

The three stimulus payments SSDI recipients received

The first Economic Impact Payment, authorized in March 2020, sent $1,200 to most adults and $500 per child. The second round, in January 2021, provided $600 per adult and $600 per child. The third round, in March 2021, sent $1,400 per adult and $1,400 per child. SSDI recipients were treated the same as other benefit recipients: if your total income for the year was below the threshold, you received the full amount.

Income thresholds were based on your 2019 tax return for the first payment, your 2020 return for the second, and your 2020 return again for the third (with some exceptions for people who filed taxes in early 2021). For SSDI recipients, the income calculation typically included only your benefits and any other earned or unearned income—not the full amount of benefits if you were also working.

The payments were not taxable income and did not reduce your SSDI benefits. They were one-time payments only, separate from your regular monthly benefit.

How the payments were sent to SSDI recipients

The IRS and Social Security coordinated to send payments directly to the bank account you had on file with Social Security. If you had set up direct deposit for your monthly SSDI check, your stimulus payment went to the same account. If you had not registered a bank account, the payment was mailed to you as a paper check.

Payments typically arrived within two to three weeks of the authorization date, though some took longer. The first payment was the slowest because the systems had to be set up from scratch. By the third round, most recipients received their money within days.

If you moved and did not update your address with Social Security, a mailed check may have gone to an old address. You can contact Social Security to confirm your current address on file and ask whether a payment was sent to a previous location.

How to check which stimulus payments you received

The IRS maintains a record of all three stimulus payments. You can visit irs.gov and use the "Get My Payment" tool (though this tool is no longer actively updated, it shows historical payment information). Enter your Social Security number, date of birth, and street address to see the payment status and deposit date for each round.

Alternatively, you can call the Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) and ask a representative to confirm which payments were sent on your record and when. Have your Social Security number ready. If you call during high-volume periods, wait times can be long; calling early in the morning or mid-week often means shorter holds.

You can also check your own records: look at your bank statements or check your mail from March 2020 through December 2021 to see if you received paper checks. If you received direct deposits, your bank statement will show the deposit date and amount.

What to do if a stimulus payment never arrived

If you confirmed that a payment was issued but you never received it, the next step depends on how it was sent. For direct deposits, contact your bank and ask whether the payment was deposited to your account under a different name or date than you expected. Banks sometimes process government payments with slight delays or label them differently.

For mailed checks, contact Social Security to confirm the address where the check was sent. If it went to an old address, you may be able to contact the person living there or the post office to trace it. If the check was lost in the mail, you can request a replacement through Social Security, though this process can take several weeks.

If you cannot locate the payment through these steps, you can claim it on your tax return. When you file your taxes for the year the payment was issued, you can report the missing stimulus payment and request it as a credit. The IRS will investigate and may issue a replacement payment, though this can take several months.

Why there was no fourth stimulus check

After the third stimulus payment in March 2021, Congress did not authorize a fourth round. Some lawmakers proposed additional payments, but they did not pass both chambers of Congress. The federal government shifted its focus to other pandemic relief programs, such as expanded unemployment benefits and rental information.

Some states did create their own stimulus or relief payments using federal funds, so if you received a payment in 2021 or 2022 that you did not expect, it may have been a state program rather than a federal stimulus check. You can contact your state's revenue or social services department to ask whether you were sent a state-level payment.

Other payments SSDI recipients may have received

If you are looking for a fourth payment and have not found it, you may be thinking of a different type of payment. SSDI recipients sometimes receive other one-time payments or increases, such as:

  • A cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), which increases your monthly benefit each January if inflation has risen. This is not a one-time payment but a permanent increase to your monthly check.
  • A retroactive benefit payment, if your case was approved and you were owed back pay from before your approval date.
  • A tax refund, if you filed taxes and were owed money by the IRS.
  • A state or local relief payment, separate from the federal stimulus program.

If you received an unexpected payment and want to know what it was, you can contact Social Security at the number above or log into your my Social Security account online to review your payment history.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get a fourth stimulus check if I didn't receive all three?

No fourth stimulus was issued, but if you missed one or more of the first three, you can still claim them. Check the IRS website or call Social Security to see which payments you received. If any are missing, you can claim them on your tax return for that year, and the IRS will investigate and send a replacement if you are owed one.

Do stimulus payments count as income for SSDI?

No. Stimulus payments were not counted as income and did not reduce your SSDI benefits. They were separate from your regular monthly check and did not affect your may be able to access for any other programs.

What if I received a stimulus payment but I wasn't supposed to?

If you received a payment and later learned you did not meet the income requirements, you may owe it back. Contact the IRS or a tax professional to understand your situation. In most cases, the IRS will not pursue repayment for stimulus payments, but it is worth confirming.

How do I update my bank account with Social Security so I get future payments by direct deposit?

You can update your bank account information by logging into your my Social Security account online, calling Social Security at 1-800-772-1213, or visiting a local Social Security office in person. Direct deposit is faster and safer than mailed checks for any future payments.

Is there any chance Congress will authorize a fourth stimulus check?

Congress would have to pass new legislation to authorize another stimulus payment. As of now, no such bill has been introduced or passed. If you want to stay informed about potential future payments, you can check the IRS website or contact your elected representatives.