SSDI recipients received the third stimulus check on the same schedule as other Social Security beneficiaries, with most payments deposited between March 17 and April 7, 2021

The third Economic Impact Payment (the $1,400 check authorized under the American Rescue Plan Act in March 2021) went to SSDI beneficiaries automatically if they had filed a 2020 tax return or received benefits from Social Security, Veterans Affairs, or the Railroad Retirement Board. The IRS and Social Security coordinated to send payments in waves based on age and account type, not on disability status. If you were on SSDI in March 2021, you did not need to take any action to receive the payment—it arrived in your bank account or by mail the same way your monthly benefit does.

The timing depended on which Social Security payment group you belonged to. People who received their regular monthly SSDI check on the third of the month got their stimulus payment on March 17. Those on the second Wednesday schedule received it around March 24, and those on the fourth Wednesday schedule got it around March 31. A small number of people who had not filed taxes and were not in Social Security's system received payments by mail in April, which took longer to arrive.

Key Takeaways

  • SSDI recipients did not need to do anything to receive the third stimulus check—it was sent automatically based on Social Security records.
  • The payment arrived on the same day as your regular monthly SSDI deposit, which depends on your birth date and payment group.
  • If you did not receive a payment by early April 2021, you could check the IRS "Get My Payment" tool or contact Social Security to trace it.
  • The third stimulus check was $1,400 per person and was not counted as income for SSI purposes, though it could affect your resources if you received Supplemental Security Income.

How Social Security coordinated the payment schedule

The IRS worked directly with Social Security's payment system to deposit the third stimulus check into the same account where your SSDI benefit lands each month. This meant the payment followed Social Security's existing schedule rather than a separate government timeline. Social Security divides beneficiaries into three payment groups based on birth date: those born on the 1st through the 10th of any month receive payments on the third of the month, those born the 11th through the 20th receive them on the second Wednesday, and those born the 21st through the 31st receive them on the fourth Wednesday.

Because the stimulus payment was tied to this system, you received it on whichever day your regular SSDI check normally arrives. Someone born on March 5 got the stimulus on March 17, 2021. Someone born on March 15 got it around March 24. This coordination meant Social Security did not have to process a separate payment run, and the IRS did not have to mail millions of checks to people who already had direct deposit set up.

What happened if you did not receive the payment by April

A small number of SSDI recipients did not see the third stimulus check arrive on their expected date. This usually happened if there was a mismatch between Social Security's records and the IRS database, or if your bank account information had changed without Social Security being notified. The IRS provided a tool called "Get My Payment" on its website where you could enter your Social Security number and check the status of your payment, including the date it was sent and the account it was deposited to.

If the tool showed the payment was sent but you did not receive it, you could contact Social Security directly at 1-800-772-1213 to report the issue. Social Security could verify whether the payment was sent to the correct account and, if needed, request a replacement check from the IRS. This process typically took two to four weeks. People who had not filed taxes and were not in any federal benefit system received their payments by mail starting in late March, which could take an additional two to three weeks to arrive.

How the third stimulus affected SSI and resource limits

If you received both SSDI and Supplemental Security Income (SSI), the third stimulus check was treated differently depending on which program you were in. For SSDI purposes, the stimulus payment was not counted as income and did not affect your benefit amount. SSDI has no resource limit, so receiving $1,400 did not change your may be able to access or your monthly payment.

For SSI recipients, the situation was more complex. SSI has a resource limit of $2,000 for individuals and $3,000 for couples. The stimulus check counted toward that limit if you still had it in your bank account. However, Congress passed a rule that allowed SSI recipients to exclude stimulus payments from their resources for nine months after receiving them. This meant you could keep the $1,400 without it affecting your SSI benefit, as long as you spent it or moved it to a separate account before the nine-month window closed. After nine months, any remaining balance would count against your resource limit.

Differences between the three stimulus payments

The third stimulus check was the largest of the three payments issued during the pandemic. The first payment in April 2020 was $1,200 per person, the second in December 2020 was $600, and the third in March 2021 was $1,400. All three were sent to SSDI recipients automatically using the same Social Security payment schedule. The rules about how they affected SSI resources were the same for all three payments.

One difference was that the third stimulus had a lower income phase-out threshold than the first two. This meant some people who received the first or second payment did not receive the third one because their income was too high. However, this did not affect SSDI recipients, since SSDI has no income limit. If you were on SSDI in March 2021, you received the full $1,400 regardless of how much money you earned from work or other sources.

What to do if you believe you were owed a third stimulus check

If you were on SSDI in March 2021 but never received a third stimulus payment, you could claim it on your 2021 tax return using the Recovery Rebate Credit. You would file Form 1040 and attach Schedule 3 to claim the credit for any stimulus payments you did not receive. The IRS would then send you the money as a tax refund or credit it against taxes you owed.

To claim the credit, you needed to show that you were a U.S. citizen or resident alien with a valid Social Security number, that you were not claimed as a dependent on someone else's tax return, and that your income was below the phase-out threshold. For the third stimulus, the phase-out began at $75,000 for single filers and $150,000 for married couples filing jointly. If you were on SSDI and had no other income, you were well below this threshold and could claim the full $1,400.

Frequently Asked Questions

Did I have to do anything to get the third stimulus check if I was on SSDI?

No. The payment was sent automatically to your bank account or mailing address on file with Social Security. You did not need to contact anyone, file a form, or take any action. If you were receiving SSDI in March 2021, you received the payment unless there was an error in Social Security's records.

What if I was on SSDI but also receiving SSI—did the stimulus affect my SSI benefit?

The stimulus payment did not reduce your SSI benefit, but it did count toward your $2,000 resource limit. Congress allowed SSI recipients to exclude stimulus payments from resources for nine months, so you could keep the money without losing benefits during that period. After nine months, any remaining balance would count against your limit.

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

Yes. You can claim it on your tax return using the Recovery Rebate Credit on Form 1040 and Schedule 3. If you were on SSDI and did not receive the $1,400, you can file a return to claim it, even if you normally do not file taxes.

Why did some people on SSDI receive the stimulus on different dates?

Social Security divides beneficiaries into three payment groups based on birth date. The stimulus was sent on the same day as your regular monthly SSDI check, so the date you received it depended on whether you were born in the 1st–10th, 11th–20th, or 21st–31st of the month.

What if my bank rejected the deposit or I never received it?

You could check the IRS "Get My Payment" tool to see if the payment was sent and where it was deposited. If it was sent but your bank rejected it, you could contact Social Security to request a replacement check from the IRS, which typically took two to four weeks to arrive.