SSDI recipients did not receive a fourth stimulus check

There was no fourth stimulus payment issued by the federal government. The stimulus checks sent during the COVID-19 pandemic were three separate payments: the first in spring 2020, the second in December 2020, and the third in spring 2021. No fourth payment was authorized by Congress or distributed by the Treasury Department.

SSDI recipients who received the first three payments got them automatically if they had filed a tax return or were already in the Social Security system. The IRS and Treasury used existing records to identify who may have access to, so most people on SSDI did not need to take any action.

Some states and localities have created their own relief programs since the federal stimulus ended, but these are separate from federal stimulus checks and vary widely by location and may be able to access rules.

Key Takeaways

  • Congress authorized only three stimulus payments during the pandemic—in 2020 and 2021—and no fourth federal payment was issued.
  • SSDI recipients who received the first three payments were paid automatically through the Social Security Administration's records.
  • If you missed one of the three payments, you may have been able to claim it on your tax return for that year, though the important date has passed for most people.
  • Some state and local governments have created separate relief funds that may be open to SSDI recipients, but these are not federal stimulus checks.

Why there was no fourth stimulus check

Congress did not pass legislation authorizing a fourth stimulus payment. While some members of Congress and advocacy groups called for additional rounds of relief, no bill that included a fourth check gained enough support to pass both chambers. The last stimulus authorization was the American Rescue Plan, signed in March 2021, which funded the third payment.

After mid-2021, federal policy shifted toward other forms of pandemic relief—extended unemployment benefits, rental information programs, and small business loans—rather than direct payments to individuals. By the time those programs ended, the focus moved to inflation and other economic concerns.

How SSDI recipients received the first three payments

The Treasury Department and IRS used Social Security Administration records to identify SSDI recipients automatically. You did not need to file a tax return or contact anyone. If you had a bank account on file with Social Security, the payment was deposited there. If not, the IRS mailed a check to your address.

Some SSDI recipients had their payments reduced or offset because of other debts—for example, if you owed back taxes or had unpaid child support, the government could take part of the stimulus to pay those obligations. This happened automatically and you would have received a notice explaining the offset.

If you did not receive a payment you believed you were may have access to to, you could claim it on your tax return for that year as a Recovery Rebate Credit. However, the important date to claim the first stimulus on your 2020 return has passed. The important date to claim the second and third payments on your 2021 return also has passed for most people.

State and local relief programs for SSDI recipients

Some states and cities created their own direct payment programs after the federal stimulus ended. These vary significantly by location and may have different income limits, residency requirements, or disability-specific rules. A few states issued one-time payments to low-income residents or people on disability; others created ongoing information programs.

To find out whether your state or city has a relief program, contact your state's Department of Social Services or search your city or county government website. You can also call 211 (a national helpline) to ask about local information programs in your area.

How stimulus payments affected SSDI and other benefits

The stimulus checks did not count as income for purposes of SSDI, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Medicare, or Medicaid. This meant receiving a payment did not reduce your monthly benefit amount or change your coverage. The payments were treated as one-time, non-recurring information.

However, if you received SSI (not SSDI), the stimulus money could have affected your resource limit if you had not spent it by the end of the month you received it. SSI has a strict $2,000 resource limit for individuals, so holding large amounts of cash can disqualify you. SSDI has no resource limit, so SSDI recipients could save the money without penalty.

If you think you should have received a payment but did not

The window to claim the first three stimulus payments has largely closed. If you did not receive a payment and did not claim it on your tax return, you may no longer be able to recover it. However, it is worth checking your Social Security account to confirm whether the payments were sent.

Log into your Social Security account at ssa.gov or call 1-800-772-1213 to ask whether the payments were issued to you. If you can confirm they were not sent and you believe you were may have access to to them, you can speak with a tax professional about whether any options remain, though the IRS has closed most recovery avenues.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will there ever be another stimulus check?

Congress would need to pass new legislation to authorize another stimulus payment. There is no current bill proposing a fourth check, and it would require both chambers of Congress to vote and the President to sign it. Future stimulus payments are not may provide and would depend on economic conditions and political decisions.

Do I have to report stimulus money to Social Security?

No. Stimulus payments do not count as income for SSDI purposes and do not need to be reported to Social Security. They do not affect your monthly benefit amount. If you receive SSI, the money counts toward your resource limit, so spending it quickly or setting it aside in a plan-to-achieve-self-support (PASS) plan may help you stay within limits.

What if my stimulus check was deposited to the wrong account?

If a payment was sent to a closed or incorrect bank account, the bank would have returned it to the IRS. You could have claimed it on your tax return for that year. Since the important date has passed, contact a tax professional to see whether any recovery options remain, though most have closed.

Can I get a fourth stimulus check from my state?

Some states created their own relief programs, but these are not stimulus checks and rules vary widely. Contact your state's Department of Social Services or call 211 to ask whether your state or city has a relief program for people on disability or low income.