SSDI recipients got the third stimulus check on the same schedule as other Americans
The third stimulus payment—officially called the American Rescue Plan Economic Impact Payment—went out between March and December 2021. SSDI recipients were not held to a separate timeline. The Social Security Administration (SSA) used the same payment method and schedule as the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), which meant most SSDI recipients received their payment by direct deposit to the same bank account where they got their monthly benefit.
If you received SSDI in 2020 or filed a 2020 tax return, you were automatically included. You did not have to take any action. The IRS and SSA coordinated to send payments in waves based on income level and filing status, with the lowest-income filers receiving payments first.
The third payment was $1,400 per person for most recipients. Payments began rolling out in mid-March 2021 and continued through the end of the year for people who had address changes, filed late tax returns, or had other processing delays.
Key Takeaways
- SSDI recipients received the third stimulus payment automatically if they were on the rolls in 2020 or had filed a 2020 tax return.
- Payments went out between March and December 2021 using the same bank account information the SSA had on file for monthly benefits.
- The payment amount was $1,400 per person, with no reduction based on SSDI income or benefit amount.
- If you did not receive your payment by the end of 2021, you could claim it on your 2021 tax return as a recovery rebate credit.
How the SSA sent the third stimulus to SSDI recipients
The Social Security Administration did not mail checks to most SSDI recipients. Instead, the SSA coordinated with the IRS to deposit payments directly into the bank account linked to your SSDI benefits. This meant the money arrived the same way your monthly benefit does—usually within one to three business days of the payment date.
If you had not set up direct deposit, the SSA mailed a paper check to your address on file. Paper checks took longer to arrive, sometimes two to four weeks depending on postal delays. A small number of recipients received payments on a debit card issued by the Treasury Department if they had no bank account and no mailing address on file.
The SSA sent out payment batches in waves. The first wave in mid-March 2021 went to people with the lowest adjusted gross income. Subsequent waves continued through the spring and summer, with final payments sent in December 2021 for people whose information had to be verified or corrected.
What to do if you did not receive the third stimulus by the end of 2021
If your payment never arrived, the IRS allowed you to claim it on your 2021 tax return as a recovery rebate credit. This was a line item on Form 1040 that let you recover the $1,400 (or the amount you were owed if your income exceeded the threshold) when you filed.
To claim the credit, you needed to file a 2021 tax return even if you normally did not file. The IRS had a tool called the "Get My Payment" portal that remained open through the 2021 tax season so you could check the status of your payment and see whether it had been sent. If the portal showed no payment sent, you had documentation that you were owed the credit.
If you filed a 2021 return and claimed the credit, the IRS issued the payment as part of your refund. This took the normal refund timeline—usually four to six weeks if you filed electronically and requested direct deposit.
SSDI income limits did not reduce the third stimulus payment
Unlike some other federal benefits, the third stimulus payment was not reduced based on your SSDI income or benefit amount. Everyone who met the basic requirement—being on SSDI in 2020 or filing a 2020 tax return—received the full $1,400.
The payment was also not counted as income for purposes of SSI (Supplemental Security Income) or SSDI benefit calculations. This meant receiving the stimulus did not trigger a benefit reduction or require you to report it to the SSA. The money was treated as a one-time payment outside the normal benefit structure.
However, if you had a representative payee managing your SSDI benefits, the payment went to the payee's account, not directly to you. Representative payees are required to use the money for your current maintenance and care, but the SSA did not require payees to report how they spent stimulus funds.
Timeline for the third stimulus payment by income and filing status
| Payment Wave | Timing | Who Received Payment |
|---|---|---|
| First wave | Mid-March 2021 | Lowest-income filers and people with 2019 tax returns on file |
| Second wave | Late March to April 2021 | Moderate-income filers and SSDI recipients with direct deposit |
| Third wave | May to June 2021 | Higher-income filers and people who filed 2020 returns late |
| Final wave | July to December 2021 | People with address corrections, amended returns, or processing delays |
What happened if your address or bank account information changed
If you moved or changed your bank account after the IRS and SSA coordinated their records but before your payment was sent, the payment could have been delayed or sent to the wrong place. The SSA uses the address and bank information it has on file for your monthly benefit, so updating your information with Social Security was the only way to may support the stimulus went to the right place.
If a payment was sent to an old address, the postal service would return it to the IRS, which would then reissue it. This process added weeks to the timeline. If a payment went to a closed bank account, the bank would reject it and return it to the IRS, which would then issue a check instead. Again, this added delay.
The safest approach was to update your address and bank account with the SSA before the payment waves began. You could do this by calling 1-800-772-1213, visiting your local Social Security office, or using your my Social Security account online.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I still claim the third stimulus if I did not get it in 2021?
Yes, but only if you did not already receive it. If the IRS sent you a payment and you received it, you cannot claim it again. If you never received it and did not claim it on your 2021 tax return, you can claim it on your 2022 or later return as a recovery rebate credit. You will need documentation showing the payment was not sent to you.
Does the third stimulus count as income for SSI or SSDI?
No. The third stimulus payment was not counted as income for either program and did not reduce your monthly benefit. It was treated as a one-time payment outside the normal benefit structure. You did not have to report it to the SSA.
What if my representative payee received my stimulus payment?
If you have a representative payee, the payment went to the payee's account. The payee is legally required to use it for your current maintenance and care, but the SSA does not require an accounting of how the money was spent. If you believe the payee misused the funds, you can report it to the SSA's Office of Inspector General.
Why did some SSDI recipients get their stimulus later than others?
The IRS and SSA sent payments in waves based on income level and filing status, with lowest-income filers first. SSDI recipients with direct deposit typically received payments in the second wave (late March to April 2021). Delays also occurred for people who moved, changed bank accounts, or had incomplete information on file.