SSDI recipients got the third stimulus check automatically on their regular Social Security payment date

The third stimulus payment—formally called the American Rescue Plan Economic Impact Payment—went out to SSDI recipients between mid-March and mid-April 2021. The Social Security Administration did not send SSDI payments on a separate schedule. If you received SSDI, your third check arrived when other Social Security beneficiaries on your payment date received theirs, based on your birth date.

The payment amount was $1,400 per person for most recipients. Payments went directly to the bank account or address on file with Social Security, using the same method as your regular SSDI deposit. You did not have to do anything to receive it—Social Security automatically included SSDI recipients in the payment run.

Some SSDI recipients did not receive a third stimulus check in the initial rollout because of address or account issues, or because they had not filed a tax return in recent years. Those people could claim the payment as a credit on their 2021 tax return, or contact Social Security directly to resolve the problem.

Key Takeaways

  • The third stimulus payment went to SSDI recipients automatically between March 17 and April 15, 2021, with no action required on your part.
  • Payment timing depended on your Social Security payment date, which is determined by your birth date, not your disability status.
  • The payment was $1,400 per person and deposited to the same account or address where you receive your regular SSDI check.
  • If you did not receive a payment, you could claim it on your 2021 tax return or contact Social Security to investigate the issue.

How Social Security determined your payment date

Social Security pays beneficiaries on a three-week rotating schedule based on birth date. If you were born on the 1st through the 10th of any month, you received your regular SSDI payment on the second Wednesday of each month. If you were born on the 11th through the 20th, you received it on the third Wednesday. If you were born on the 21st or later, you received it on the fourth Wednesday.

The third stimulus check followed this same schedule. Social Security processed the payments in batches and sent them out according to each person's regular payment date. This meant that someone born on the 5th received their stimulus check earlier than someone born on the 25th, even though both were SSDI recipients.

If you were unsure of your regular payment date, you could check your Social Security statement online at ssa.gov or call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 to confirm when you normally receive your deposit.

What happened if you did not receive the payment

Some SSDI recipients did not see the third stimulus check arrive on their expected payment date. Common reasons included a closed or incorrect bank account on file, an address that Social Security could not verify, or a gap in recent tax filing history. If this happened to you, Social Security sent a notice in the mail explaining the issue.

The fastest way to resolve a missing payment was to contact Social Security directly at 1-800-772-1213 and provide updated banking information or address details. Social Security could then reprocess the payment to a corrected account. If you preferred not to call, you could visit a local Social Security office in person with a photo ID and recent bank statement.

If you could not resolve the issue with Social Security before the 2021 tax filing important date, you had another option: claim the payment as a credit on your 2021 tax return. The IRS would then send you the money as a refund or explore it to any taxes you owed. This process took longer than receiving the payment directly from Social Security, but it ensured you eventually got the full amount.

How stimulus payments worked with your ongoing SSDI benefit

Receiving SSDI did not disqualify you from any of the three stimulus payments. Unlike some other federal benefits, SSDI is not means-tested, so your disability payment amount did not affect your stimulus may be able to access. The only requirement was that you had a valid Social Security number and were a U.S. citizen or resident alien.

The stimulus payments themselves did not count as income for SSDI purposes. Social Security did not reduce your monthly SSDI check because you received a stimulus payment, and the money did not affect your work incentive programs or your ability to earn money from work. The payments were one-time economic relief, separate from your ongoing benefit.

If you received Supplemental Security Income (SSI) instead of SSDI, the rules were slightly different. SSI is means-tested, and stimulus payments could affect your SSI amount in the month you received them. However, Social Security applied special rules to exclude stimulus payments from the income calculation, so most SSI recipients also received the full amount without a reduction to their monthly benefit.

Representative payees and stimulus payments

If you had a representative payee managing your SSDI benefits, the stimulus payment went to the same account or address where your regular SSDI check is deposited. Your payee did not receive a separate payment. The money was part of your benefit account and subject to the same rules as your regular SSDI funds.

Representative payees are required to use SSDI funds for your current maintenance and best interests. Stimulus payments followed the same rule. If you had questions about how your payee was handling the stimulus money, you could contact Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 to request a review of your account.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I still claim the third stimulus payment if I did not receive it in 2021?

Yes. If you did not receive the payment and did not claim it on your 2021 tax return, you can still file an amended return using Form 1040-X. You will need to include the Recovery Rebate Credit worksheet. The IRS processes amended returns slowly, so allow several months for a response. You can also contact the IRS at 1-800-829-1040 for help.

Does the stimulus payment affect my Medicare or Medicaid?

No. The stimulus payments were excluded from income calculations for both Medicare and Medicaid purposes. Receiving the money did not change your premiums, cost-sharing, or coverage status. This applied to all three stimulus payments issued between 2020 and 2021.

What if I received SSDI but was also working?

You still received the full stimulus payment. Work incentive programs like Impairment Related Work Expenses (IRWE) and Plans to Achieve Self-Support (PASS) do not affect stimulus may be able to access. The payment was based solely on your Social Security number and citizenship status, not on your work activity or earnings.

What if my bank account information was wrong when the payment was sent?

Social Security attempted to deposit the payment to the account on file. If the account was closed or the routing number was incorrect, the payment was returned. You could then contact Social Security to provide corrected information, or claim the payment on your 2021 tax return using Form 1040-X and the Recovery Rebate Credit worksheet.