SSDI recipients got the third stimulus check on the same schedule as other Social Security beneficiaries

The third stimulus payment (also called the American Rescue Plan payment) went out to SSDI recipients between mid-March and mid-April 2021. The Social Security Administration sent payments in waves based on how you received your regular benefits — direct deposit arrived first, then paper checks, then debit cards.

If you were on SSDI in March 2021, you did not have to do anything to receive the payment. It was sent automatically to the same account or address where you got your regular monthly benefit. The payment amount was $1,400 per adult and $1,400 per dependent child under 17.

This article explains the timeline for the third stimulus, who received it, and what to do if you did not get yours.

Key Takeaways

  • SSDI recipients received the third stimulus payment automatically between March 17 and April 15, 2021, with no action required on their part.
  • Direct deposit payments arrived first, followed by paper checks mailed to your address on file, then debit cards sent by mail.
  • The payment was $1,400 per person and $1,400 per dependent child under 17, sent to the same place your regular SSDI benefit went.
  • If you did not receive your payment by mid-April 2021, you could check the status through the IRS or file a claim for the missing amount on your 2021 tax return.

The payment schedule for SSDI recipients

The Social Security Administration coordinated with the U.S. Treasury to send third stimulus payments in three separate waves. SSDI recipients were grouped by their payment method, not by their benefit amount or when they started receiving SSDI.

Direct deposit recipients got their money first, starting March 17, 2021. Paper checks were mailed beginning March 26, 2021, and took one to three weeks to arrive depending on postal service speed in your area. Debit card payments were mailed starting April 2, 2021, and also took one to three weeks.

By April 15, 2021, nearly all SSDI recipients who were on the rolls in March had received their payment. If you did not see the money by late April, it meant either the payment was lost in the mail, sent to an old address, or there was a problem with your account.

Who received the third stimulus and who did not

You received the third stimulus payment if you were receiving SSDI benefits in March 2021 and had a valid Social Security number. The payment was not based on your income, your work history, or how long you had been on SSDI. It went to everyone on the rolls at that time.

You did not receive the payment if you were not yet on SSDI by March 2021, even if you started receiving benefits in April or May of that year. People who were approved for SSDI after the payment window closed were not sent a third stimulus check.

Non-citizens without a valid Social Security number did not receive the payment, even if they were receiving SSDI. This was a federal rule that applied to all three stimulus rounds.

What to do if you never received your third stimulus payment

If you were on SSDI in March 2021 but did not receive the $1,400 payment by mid-April, the first step was to check the status through the IRS website. The IRS had a "Get My Payment" tool that showed whether the payment was sent, where it was sent, and when it was deposited or mailed.

Common reasons for missing payments included a wrong address on file with Social Security, a closed or incorrect bank account for direct deposit, or mail theft or loss. If your address was wrong, you could update it with Social Security and request a replacement check. If your bank account information was incorrect, you could contact your bank to see if the payment was rejected.

If you could not locate the payment and it had been more than 60 days since it should have arrived, you could file a claim for the missing amount on your 2021 tax return. This required filing Form 1040 and claiming the Recovery Rebate Credit. The IRS would then investigate and send you the missing payment, usually within a few months.

How the third stimulus differed from the first two payments

The first stimulus payment (April 2020) and the second stimulus payment (December 2020) followed a similar automatic-payment process for SSDI recipients, but the third stimulus was larger and reached more people. The first payment was $1,200 per adult, the second was $600 per adult, and the third was $1,400 per adult.

All three payments included $500 per dependent child under 17, so families with children received more. The payment method was the same for all three rounds — direct deposit first, then checks, then debit cards — because Social Security and the IRS used the same infrastructure each time.

One difference was timing: the first stimulus took longer to reach SSDI recipients because the process was new, the second was faster, and the third was the fastest of all. By the time the third payment was authorized in March 2021, the agencies had refined the system.

Frequently Asked Questions

Did I have to report the stimulus payment to Social Security?

No. The stimulus payment was not counted as income for SSDI purposes and did not affect your monthly benefit amount. You did not have to report it to Social Security, and it did not trigger a review of your case. This was true for all three stimulus payments.

What if I was in a representative payee situation — did the payee get the money or did I?

The payment went to the representative payee's account or address, since that is where your regular SSDI benefit goes. The payee was legally required to use the money for your needs, but the payment itself was sent to them. If you believed the payee did not give you the money, you could report it to Social Security.

Can I still get the third stimulus if I missed it in 2021?

If you did not receive the third stimulus payment and did not claim it on your 2021 tax return, you can still file an amended return (Form 1040-X) to claim the Recovery Rebate Credit. You have three years from the original tax important date to file the amended return and claim the credit.

Was there a fourth stimulus payment for SSDI recipients?

No. Congress authorized three stimulus payments during the pandemic: April 2020, December 2020, and March 2021. There was no fourth payment. Some states and cities sent their own payments to residents, but these were separate from the federal stimulus program.