There was no fourth stimulus check in 2023

The federal government did not issue a fourth round of stimulus payments in 2023. Three rounds of Economic Impact Payments were sent between March 2020 and January 2021: the first in spring 2020, the second in December 2020, and the third in March 2021. No additional stimulus checks were authorized or distributed after that.

SSDI recipients who received the first three payments were included automatically—the Social Security Administration sent payments to people on disability without requiring a separate process. If you received the first three checks, you were already in the system. If you did not receive them and believe you should have, the issue would have been resolved years ago, not in 2023.

What you may have seen in 2023 were rumors, scams, or posts about proposed legislation that never passed. Some states ran their own relief programs using federal funds, but these were separate from stimulus checks and had their own rules and timelines.

Key Takeaways

  • Only three rounds of federal stimulus checks were issued: March 2020, December 2020, and March 2021.
  • No fourth stimulus check was authorized by Congress or distributed by the Treasury Department in 2023 or after.
  • SSDI recipients were included in all three rounds automatically through Social Security's payment system.
  • Posts claiming a fourth check was coming in 2023 were misinformation, not official announcements.
  • If you missed one of the three actual checks, the IRS had a process to claim it on your tax return, but that window has closed.

Why the confusion about a fourth check

Several things created false expectations in 2023. Some members of Congress proposed additional stimulus legislation, but none of these bills passed both chambers or reached the President's desk. Websites and social media posts repeated these proposals as if they were law, and many people shared them without checking whether the bill had actually been enacted.

Scammers also took advantage of the confusion. They sent emails and texts claiming to offer a fourth stimulus check, asking people to click links or provide personal information. The IRS and Social Security both warned the public about these schemes in 2023. If you received a message about a fourth check, it was not from a government agency.

Some states did send one-time payments to residents in 2023 using surplus budget funds or federal relief money from earlier programs. These were state-level decisions, not federal stimulus checks, and they had specific income limits and other requirements that varied by state.

What actually happened to stimulus money in 2023

The three stimulus checks that were issued totaled $3,200 per person across all three rounds (the amounts varied: $1,200 in the first round, $600 in the second, and $1,400 in the third). By 2023, these payments had been distributed years earlier. The focus of federal relief had shifted to other programs: child tax credit payments, unemployment benefits extensions, rental information, and small business loans.

Congress did not authorize new stimulus checks in 2023. The economic conditions that led to the three rounds of payments—the initial pandemic shutdown in 2020 and the ongoing recovery in 2020 and early 2021—were no longer the basis for policy. Inflation and labor market conditions in 2023 led to different policy discussions, but stimulus checks were not part of them.

If you missed one of the three actual checks

If you did not receive one or more of the three stimulus checks and believe you were may have access to to them, the process to claim them has largely closed. The IRS allowed people to claim missing payments on their 2020 and 2021 tax returns using the Recovery Rebate Credit. That window is now past for most filers.

If you are an SSDI recipient and did not receive a check you should have gotten, contact the Social Security Administration directly at 1-800-772-1213. They can look up your payment history and tell you whether a check was sent and where. This is a conversation to have with Social Security, not with a third-party website or service.

How to spot misinformation about stimulus checks

Official stimulus announcements come from the U.S. Treasury Department, the IRS, or the Social Security Administration. They are posted on the official websites of these agencies (treasury.gov, irs.gov, ssa.gov) and announced through official social media accounts. If you see a claim about a stimulus check on a personal blog, a social media post without a government source, or an email asking you to click a link, it is not official.

The IRS and Social Security do not contact people by email or text to tell them about payments. They do not ask for personal information through links. If someone is offering to help you get a stimulus check in exchange for money or personal details, that is a scam.

Check the official government websites directly if you have questions. Do not rely on third-party sites, even ones that look official. A URL that says "irs-check.com" or "social-security-payment.net" is not the real IRS or Social Security.

What SSDI recipients should focus on instead

Rather than waiting for a fourth stimulus check that will not come, SSDI recipients should stay current on changes to their benefits, work incentives, and other programs they may be may have access to to. The Ticket to Work program, for example, allows people on SSDI to work without when ready losing benefits. Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients may be may have access to to state supplements that vary by location.

If your financial situation has changed or you are struggling to cover expenses, contact your local Social Security office or call 1-800-772-1213 to discuss what programs might help. There are also local nonprofits, food banks, utility information programs, and housing support that do not require you to wait for a federal check.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there any chance a fourth stimulus check will be issued in 2024 or later?

Congress would have to pass new legislation authorizing it, and there is no indication that is being considered. Stimulus checks were tied to specific economic conditions in 2020 and 2021. Future relief would likely take different forms depending on economic conditions at that time.

I received a text saying I can claim a fourth stimulus check. Is this real?

No. The IRS and Social Security do not contact people by text or email about stimulus payments. This is a scam. Do not click any links or provide personal information. Delete the message and report it to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov if you want to.

What if I never received one of the first three checks?

Contact Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 with your Social Security number and the year you believe you should have received the check. They can confirm whether it was sent. If it was sent but you never received it, Social Security can help you trace it. The IRS also has a payment trace tool on irs.gov.

Can I get a fourth stimulus check if I file my taxes differently?

No. There is no fourth check to claim, regardless of how you file. If you missed one of the three actual checks and filed a tax return for the year it was issued, you could have claimed it as the Recovery Rebate Credit, but that window has closed for most filers.

Where can I find out about other help if I need money?

Call 211 (in most areas) or visit 211.org to find local information programs in your area: food banks, utility help, housing support, and more. Your local Social Security office can also discuss work incentives and other benefits you may be may have access to to as an SSDI recipient.