SSDI Recipients and the Fourth Stimulus Check

There was no fourth stimulus check issued by the federal government. The U.S. Treasury sent three rounds of Economic Impact Payments during the COVID-19 pandemic: the first in spring 2020, the second in December 2020 and January 2021, and the third in March 2021. After the third payment, Congress did not authorize additional stimulus checks, and no fourth payment was distributed to any group of taxpayers or benefit recipients.

If you receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and received the first three payments, you were included in those distributions automatically. The Social Security Administration did not need separate applications from SSDI recipients—the payments went to the bank account or address on file with SSA, just as they did for other benefit recipients and taxpayers.

Some people confuse stimulus checks with other payments SSDI recipients may receive, such as cost-of-living adjustments (COLA), which happen annually, or one-time payments from state programs. Those are separate from federal stimulus checks and operate under different rules.

Key Takeaways

  • The federal government issued three stimulus checks during the pandemic—in 2020 and early 2021—and has not authorized a fourth payment.
  • SSDI recipients who received the first three payments were paid automatically through their existing SSA account information without filing a separate form.
  • If you did not receive one of the three payments and believe you should have, you can file a claim with the IRS using Form 1040-X or contact the IRS directly.
  • Annual COLA increases and occasional state payments to SSDI recipients are separate from stimulus checks and follow their own schedules.
  • Scams claiming to offer a "fourth stimulus check" or asking for personal information to "unlock" payments are fraudulent and should be reported to the Federal Trade Commission.

How the Three Stimulus Payments Reached SSDI Recipients

The Social Security Administration automatically sent the three stimulus checks to SSDI recipients based on information already in the SSA system. You did not need to file a tax return, submit an process, or contact SSA to receive the payments. If you had direct deposit set up with SSA, the money went to your bank account. If you did not have direct deposit, the Treasury mailed a check to your address on file.

The three payments were: $1,200 in the first round (April 2020), $600 in the second round (January 2021), and $1,400 in the third round (March 2021). The amounts were the same for all SSDI recipients regardless of income, because stimulus payments were not means-tested—they went to nearly all adults and many dependents.

If you were receiving SSDI during all three rounds, you should have received all three payments. If you only started receiving SSDI after one of the payment dates, you would not have been included in earlier rounds, but you would have been included in any rounds that occurred after you began receiving benefits.

What to Do If You Did Not Receive a Stimulus Payment

If you believe you should have received one or more of the three stimulus payments but did not, the IRS allows you to claim the missing amount on your tax return. You do this by filing Form 1040-X (Amended U.S. Individual Income Tax Return) for the year in which the payment should have been sent. The form asks you to report the stimulus payments you received and claim any that you did not.

You can also contact the IRS directly at 1-800-829-1040 to check the status of your payments. The IRS has a tool called "Get My Payment" on its website (irs.gov) that lets you enter your information to see whether a payment was issued and where it was sent. This tool is still available for the three payments that were issued.

If a payment was sent to an old address or bank account and you never received it, the IRS can sometimes reissue the payment. Bring documentation of your current address or bank account information when you contact them. If the payment was deposited to a closed bank account, the bank may have returned it to the Treasury, and you will need to claim it through the tax return process.

Why There Is No Fourth Stimulus Check

Each of the three stimulus payments required a separate act of Congress. The first payment was authorized under the CARES Act in March 2020. The second was part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act in December 2020. The third was included in the American Rescue Plan in March 2021. After March 2021, Congress did not pass legislation authorizing additional stimulus payments to the general population.

Some members of Congress have proposed additional stimulus payments at various times, but these proposals have not become law. Proposals circulate regularly on social media, and some people mistake proposed legislation for actual payments. As of now, no fourth stimulus check has been authorized or distributed.

Distinguishing Stimulus Checks from Other SSDI Payments

SSDI recipients receive several types of payments that are not stimulus checks. The most common is the annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), which increases your monthly SSDI benefit amount each January based on inflation. COLA is a permanent part of the SSDI program and happens every year, not just during emergencies. In 2024, for example, COLA increased benefits by 3.2 percent, but this was a routine adjustment, not a stimulus payment.

Some states have also issued one-time payments to SSDI recipients using state funds or federal block grants. These are separate from federal stimulus checks and vary by state. If you live in a state that issued such a payment, you would have received a notice from your state's social services agency, not from the federal government.

Tax refunds and tax credits (such as the Earned Income Tax Credit) are also separate from stimulus checks. If you file a tax return, you may be due a refund or credit, but this is based on your income and tax situation, not on your SSDI status.

Recognizing and Reporting Stimulus Check Scams

Scammers frequently use the promise of stimulus payments to trick people into giving up personal information or money. Common scams include emails, text messages, or phone calls claiming that you are due a "fourth stimulus check" or that you need to "verify your information" to receive a payment. These are fraudulent. The government does not contact people by email or text to offer payments, and it does not ask for passwords, Social Security numbers, or bank account information through unsecured channels.

If you receive a message claiming to offer a stimulus payment, do not click any links or provide any information. Report the message to the Federal Trade Commission at reportfraud.ftc.gov. You can also report it to the Social Security Administration's Office of Inspector General at oig.ssa.gov if the scam specifically impersonates SSA.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get a fourth stimulus check if I did not receive the first three?

No fourth stimulus check exists. However, if you did not receive one of the first three payments and you believe you should have, you can claim it on your tax return using Form 1040-X or contact the IRS at 1-800-829-1040. The IRS can help you determine whether a payment was issued and where it went.

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

No. Stimulus payments are not counted as income for SSDI purposes, and you do not need to report them to SSA. They do not affect your monthly benefit amount or your continued receipt of SSDI.

What if I received a stimulus payment but I was not supposed to?

If you received a payment in error—for example, because you were deceased or not a U.S. citizen—the IRS may contact you about repayment. If this happens, follow the instructions in the IRS letter. Do not ignore it. You can also contact the IRS to discuss your situation.

Is there any other federal payment coming to SSDI recipients soon?

There is no announced federal stimulus payment. SSDI recipients receive their regular monthly benefits and an annual COLA increase each January. Some states may offer additional payments using state funds, but these vary by location and are announced by your state's social services agency.

How do I know if a message about a stimulus payment is real?

Real government payments do not require you to click links, verify information, or provide passwords. If you receive an unsolicited message offering money, it is almost certainly a scam. Go directly to irs.gov or call 1-800-829-1040 to check your payment status instead of responding to the message.