No Fourth Stimulus Check Was Issued to Any Group

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. SSDI recipients received the same payments as other may be able to access groups during those three rounds, but no fourth payment was authorized or sent after that.

If you received three stimulus checks and are looking for a fourth, the payment you are waiting for does not exist. If you received fewer than three checks, the issue is usually that you did not meet the income limits for one or more rounds, or that the payment was sent to an old address or account. This guide explains what happened to each round and how to find out whether you received all the payments you were may have access to to.

Key Takeaways

  • Three stimulus checks were issued between March 2020 and December 2021; no fourth check was authorized by Congress.
  • SSDI recipients were treated the same as other taxpayers and received payments if their income fell below the threshold for that round.
  • If you received fewer than three checks, the IRS has a tool to check the status of each payment and where it was sent.
  • If a check was sent to an old address or account, you can file a claim with the IRS to request a replacement or have it reissued.

The Three Stimulus Payments That Were Issued

Congress authorized three separate stimulus payments. The first was $1,200 per adult and $500 per child, sent starting in March 2020. The second was $600 per adult and $600 per child, sent in December 2020 and January 2021. The third was $1,400 per adult and $1,400 per child, sent starting in March 2021.

SSDI recipients did not have to file a tax return or take any action to receive these payments. The IRS used Social Security records to identify who was may have access to to each payment and sent the money automatically. If you received SSDI in the month the payment was authorized, you were in the system and received the check unless your income exceeded the limit for that round.

After the third payment in mid-2021, no further stimulus checks were authorized. Proposals for additional payments have been made in Congress, but none have passed into law. If you are seeing advertisements or websites claiming a fourth check is coming, they are either outdated or misleading.

Income Limits That Determined Who Received Each Payment

Each round had an income threshold. If your income was above that threshold, you did not receive the full payment—and above a certain point, you received nothing. SSDI benefits count as income for this purpose.

For the first payment (2020), the phase-out began at $75,000 for single filers and $150,000 for married couples filing jointly. For the second payment (2020–2021), it was $75,000 and $150,000. For the third payment (2021), it was $75,000 and $150,000. If your total income from all sources—including SSDI, wages, and other benefits—exceeded these amounts, you received a reduced payment or nothing.

The IRS used your 2019 tax return to calculate the first payment, your 2019 or 2020 return for the second, and your 2020 return for the third. If your income changed between tax years, you may have received a payment in one round but not another. You can check your actual income threshold by looking at your tax return from the year used for each round.

How to Check Whether You Received All Three Payments

The IRS has a tool called the Economic Impact Payment Status tracker, available on IRS.gov. You can enter your Social Security number and date of birth to see the status of each of the three payments: whether it was sent, how much it was, and where it went.

To use the tracker, go to IRS.gov, search for "Economic Impact Payment," and select the status tool. You will need your Social Security number, date of birth, and street address. The tool will show you the payment method for each check—direct deposit, mailed check, or debit card—and the date it was sent.

If the tracker shows a payment was sent but you never received it, note the payment method and the date. If it was mailed, the check may have been lost or sent to an old address. If it was direct deposit, it may have gone to a closed bank account. Write down the payment amount and date for the next step.

What to Do If You Did Not Receive a Payment You Were may have access to To

If the IRS tracker shows a payment was sent but you did not receive it, you can file a claim. The process depends on how the payment was sent.

If the payment was mailed as a check: Contact the IRS at 1-800-829-1040 and tell them the check was never received. Provide the payment date and amount from the tracker. The IRS will issue a replacement check, which usually takes 4 to 6 weeks. You can also file Form 3911, process for Taxpayer information Order, if you need the replacement faster.

If the payment was sent by direct deposit: The money went to the bank account on file with the IRS from your tax return. If that account is closed or no longer yours, contact your bank first to ask whether the deposit was rejected. If it was rejected, the IRS may have a record of the rejection. Call 1-800-829-1040 and explain that a direct deposit payment was rejected. The IRS can reissue it as a check.

If the payment was sent to a debit card: The IRS issued Economic Impact Payment cards to some filers. If you received a card but never activated it or lost it, contact the card issuer (the number is on the back of the card or on your IRS notice) to ask about the balance. If the card expired, you can request a replacement or have the balance transferred.

Why Some SSDI Recipients Received Fewer Than Three Payments

If you received one or two stimulus checks but not all three, the most common reason is that your income exceeded the threshold for one or more rounds. SSDI benefits are counted as income, so if your monthly SSDI payment plus any other income pushed you over the limit, you would not have received that round's payment.

Another reason is that you were not yet receiving SSDI when a payment was issued. The IRS used Social Security records to identify recipients, so if you started SSDI after a payment was sent, you would not have been included in that round. You could not go back and claim a payment for a round you were not receiving benefits in.

A third reason is that the payment was sent to an address or account you no longer used. This is less common but does happen, especially if you moved and did not update your address with the IRS or Social Security.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there any chance a fourth stimulus check will be issued?

Congress would have to pass a new law to authorize a fourth payment. As of now, no such law has been passed. Proposals come up periodically, but none have become law. You should not count on a fourth check or respond to advertisements claiming one is coming.

Can I claim a stimulus payment on my tax return if I did not receive it?

Yes. If you were may have access to to a payment but did not receive it, you can claim the Recovery Rebate Credit on your tax return. You will need to file a return and report the payments you did not receive. The IRS will then send you the money as a refund. This is the official way to recover a payment if the IRS tracker shows it was sent but you never got it.

What if the IRS tracker says I received a payment but I have no record of it?

The tracker is usually accurate, but it is possible the payment was sent to an old account or address without your knowledge. Check your bank statements from the dates shown in the tracker. If you see a deposit you do not recognize, it may be the stimulus payment. If you still cannot find it after checking your records, call the IRS at 1-800-829-1040 with the payment date and amount.

Do I have to report stimulus payments as income on my SSDI case?

No. Stimulus payments are not counted as income for SSDI purposes. They do not affect your monthly benefit amount or your work incentives. You do not have to report them to Social Security.

Can I get a fourth stimulus check if my income has gone down since 2021?

A fourth check does not exist, so your current income does not matter. If you did not receive one of the three checks that were issued and believe you were may have access to to it, you can claim the Recovery Rebate Credit on your next tax return, regardless of your current income.