SSDI recipients got the second stimulus check on the same schedule as everyone else
If you were receiving SSDI (Social Security Disability Insurance) in December 2020, you received your second stimulus check automatically—you did not have to do anything. The payment went to the bank account or address on file with Social Security, the same way your regular SSDI deposit arrives.
The second stimulus check was $600 per person (or $1,200 for a married couple filing jointly, plus $600 per child under 17). It was not based on how much SSDI you received. Everyone on SSDI got the same amount, regardless of their benefit level.
The IRS and Social Security coordinated the payments so that people already receiving benefits did not have to file a tax return or take any action. If you were on SSDI, you were in the group that received payments first—before people who had to claim the credit on their 2020 tax return.
Key Takeaways
- SSDI recipients received the second stimulus check automatically in December 2020 or early January 2021, with no action required.
- The payment was $600 per person and went to the same bank account or mailing address where your SSDI benefits are sent.
- You did not have to file a tax return or contact Social Security to receive the payment.
- If you did not receive your check by mid-January 2021, you could check the IRS "Get My Payment" tool or contact the IRS to trace it.
How the payment was sent to SSDI recipients
Social Security sent the second stimulus check using the same method your regular SSDI benefit arrives. If your SSDI is deposited directly to your bank account, the stimulus check went there too. If you receive a paper check by mail, the stimulus check came the same way.
The IRS worked directly with Social Security to identify who was receiving SSDI as of a specific date in 2020. Social Security then provided the payment information—bank account or mailing address—so the Treasury Department could send the money. You did not have to update your information or contact anyone.
Most SSDI recipients received their payment between December 29, 2020, and January 15, 2021. Paper checks took longer to arrive than direct deposits, sometimes arriving in late January or early February 2021.
What to do if you did not receive your second stimulus check
If you were on SSDI and did not receive your $600 payment by mid-January 2021, the first step was to check the IRS "Get My Payment" tool on the IRS website. This tool showed the payment status, the amount, and the method (direct deposit or check). It also showed the date the payment was sent.
If the tool showed your payment was sent by direct deposit but you did not see it in your account, you could contact your bank to ask if the deposit was rejected or delayed. Banks sometimes reject deposits if the account information was outdated or incorrect.
If the tool showed a check was mailed but you never received it, you could file a claim with the IRS. The IRS had a process for people to report missing checks and request a replacement. This usually took several weeks to process.
If the IRS tool showed no payment information at all, it meant Social Security's records did not match the IRS database. This sometimes happened if you had recently started receiving SSDI or if there was a name mismatch. In that case, you could contact Social Security directly to verify your information was correct.
SSDI and stimulus checks: what changed between the first and second payments
The first stimulus check (in spring 2020) required some SSDI recipients to file a tax return if they had not filed one recently, even though they did not owe taxes. The second stimulus check fixed this problem. Social Security automatically sent payment information to the IRS for everyone receiving SSDI, so no one had to file a return.
The second check was also smaller—$600 instead of $1,200. But the process was smoother because the IRS and Social Security had learned from the first payment and coordinated better.
Whether the second stimulus check counted as income for SSDI
The second stimulus check did not count as income for SSDI purposes. Social Security did not reduce your monthly benefit because you received the payment. The check was a one-time federal payment, not wages or other income that would affect your SSDI amount.
This was true even if you were also receiving SSI (Supplemental Security Income), which has stricter income rules than SSDI. Congress specifically said stimulus checks would not count as income for either program.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did I have to report my second stimulus check to Social Security?
No. You did not have to report the payment to Social Security, and it did not affect your SSDI benefit. Social Security and the IRS coordinated the payment on their own, and the check was excluded from income calculations by law.
What if I was on SSDI but had not received a payment in months?
If your SSDI had been suspended or stopped, you might not have received the stimulus check automatically. You could have claimed it on your 2020 tax return using the IRS form for people who did not receive a payment. The IRS website had instructions for this situation.
Could I have received the second stimulus check if I was not a U.S. citizen?
Only U.S. citizens and certain resident aliens were sent the second stimulus check. If you were on SSDI but not a U.S. citizen, you would not have received the payment automatically. Rules about who could claim it on a tax return were different and more restrictive.
Did dependents on SSDI get their own stimulus check?
No. Only the person receiving SSDI got the $600 payment. Dependents or family members living in the same household did not receive separate checks unless they were also receiving their own SSDI or SSI benefit.
What happened if I moved after the stimulus check was sent?
If you moved after the IRS sent your payment, a paper check might have gone to your old address. You could contact the IRS or file a claim for a replacement. If your payment was sent by direct deposit, it would have gone to the bank account on file, regardless of where you lived.