SSDI recipients in California did receive the 2022 state stimulus payment if they met the income and residency requirements

California's 2022 stimulus program, officially called the Middle Class Tax Refund, sent payments to residents who filed a 2020 tax return showing California income. SSDI recipients were not excluded from this program — they received payments the same way other residents did, provided their 2020 income fell within the income limits and they lived in California on the payment date.

The payment was not automatic for everyone. You had to file a 2020 California tax return to be considered, even if you normally did not file taxes. If you did not file that return, you could file it late to claim the payment, but the important date to do so has now passed. The payment window closed in October 2023.

This was a one-time payment in 2022 and 2023 — not an ongoing program. If you did not receive it and believe you were may have access to to it, the claim period is closed and you cannot file a new claim.

Key Takeaways

  • SSDI income counted toward the income limits for California's 2022 Middle Class Tax Refund, so some SSDI recipients may have access to and some did not depending on their total 2020 income.
  • You had to file a 2020 California tax return to receive the payment, even if you had no tax filing requirement that year.
  • The payment was issued between October 2022 and January 2023 to those who had already filed their 2020 return, and between January and October 2023 to those who filed late.
  • The claim important date passed in October 2023, so you cannot file a new claim for this payment now.

Income limits that applied to SSDI recipients

California set income thresholds based on filing status. If your 2020 California adjusted gross income fell below the limit for your filing status, you were in the income range for the payment. SSDI counts as income for this purpose.

The income limits were: $75,000 for single filers, $150,000 for married filing jointly, and $112,500 for head of household. If you filed as single and your 2020 SSDI plus any other income totaled $75,000 or less, you met the income requirement. If you were married filing jointly and your combined household income was $150,000 or less, you may have access to on income grounds.

Residency also mattered. You had to be a California resident on the date the payment was issued. If you moved out of state before your payment was sent, you would not have received it.

How the payment was issued to SSDI recipients

California matched the 2020 tax return you filed with the Franchise Tax Board to determine the payment amount and send it to you. If you filed electronically, the payment went to your bank account or the address on file. If you filed by mail, the state sent a check to your address.

The payment amounts varied. Single filers with income under $75,000 received between $250 and $1,050 depending on their exact income. Married filers and heads of household received higher amounts. The state calculated your payment based on your specific 2020 income, not a flat amount for everyone.

If you had direct deposit set up with the Franchise Tax Board from a prior refund, your 2022 stimulus payment went to that account. Otherwise, you received a check by mail. Some people received their payment in October 2022, while others received theirs in late 2022 or early 2023, depending on when the state processed their return.

What to do if you did not receive your payment

If you believed you were may have access to to the payment and did not receive it, the claim period has closed. California stopped accepting claims in October 2023. You cannot file a new claim or request a payment now.

The most common reasons people did not receive the payment were: they did not file a 2020 California tax return, their income exceeded the limit for their filing status, or they were not a California resident when the payment was issued. If any of these applied to you, you were not may have access to to the payment under the program rules.

If you filed a return and believed you should have received the payment but did not, you would have needed to contact the Franchise Tax Board during the claim window to investigate. That window is now closed.

Difference between the 2022 California stimulus and federal stimulus payments

California's 2022 Middle Class Tax Refund was separate from any federal stimulus payments you may have received. The federal government sent Economic Impact Payments in 2020 and 2021 to most residents regardless of state. California's 2022 payment was a state-only program with different income limits and different may be able to access rules.

SSDI recipients who received federal stimulus payments in 2020 and 2021 were also may be able to access for California's 2022 payment if they met California's specific requirements. Receiving one did not automatically mean you received the other, and the amounts were different.

If you are looking for information about federal stimulus payments, those programs ended in 2021. No federal stimulus payments have been issued since then.

Whether future California stimulus payments might include SSDI recipients

California has not announced another state-wide stimulus program like the 2022 Middle Class Tax Refund. Future programs, if they occur, would have their own may be able to access rules that the state would publish when the program launches.

SSDI recipients should monitor the California Franchise Tax Board website and official state announcements if they want to know about future programs. Scams sometimes circulate claiming to offer stimulus payments or tax refunds to SSDI recipients — these are not legitimate. Only information from the official Franchise Tax Board website or the state's official social media accounts is reliable.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to repay the 2022 California stimulus payment?

No. The Middle Class Tax Refund was not a loan. You did not have to repay it, and it did not affect your SSDI benefits or your may be able to access for other programs. It was a one-time payment from the state.

Did the 2022 California stimulus count as income for SSI or Medicaid?

The stimulus payment itself did not count as income for SSI (Supplemental Security Income) or Medicaid in the month you received it, because it was treated as a one-time payment. However, if you deposited it into a bank account, it may have counted toward your resource limit if you held it past the month of receipt. Check with your local SSI or Medicaid office about how they handled it in your specific case.

Can I file a late claim for the 2022 California stimulus now?

No. The important date to file a claim was October 15, 2023. California is no longer accepting claims for this payment. The program is closed.

What if I filed my 2020 tax return after the payment window started?

If you filed your 2020 return late, California issued your payment after processing your return, up until the October 2023 important date. If you filed after October 2023, you did not receive a payment because the program had ended.

Did SSDI recipients get a different payment amount than other residents?

No. The payment amount was based only on your 2020 income and filing status, not on the source of that income. An SSDI recipient with $50,000 in income received the same payment as anyone else with $50,000 in 2020 income.