Most SSDI recipients got the third stimulus payment automatically in 2021

If you were receiving Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) in March 2021, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) sent you a third stimulus payment without requiring you to take any action. The payment went to the bank account or address on file with Social Security, the same way your regular SSDI deposit arrives.

The third stimulus payment was part of the American Rescue Plan Act, passed in March 2021. The IRS used Social Security's records to identify who should receive the payment, so most SSDI recipients were included automatically. You did not need to file a tax return or contact anyone to claim it.

The amount was $1,400 per person. If you were married and both spouses received SSDI, you each got $1,400. Children claimed as dependents on a tax return also received $1,400 each, though the rules for who counted as a dependent were specific to that tax year.

Key Takeaways

  • SSDI recipients received the third stimulus payment automatically between March and December 2021 if they were on the rolls when the law passed in March 2021.
  • The payment went to the same bank account or mailing address where your SSDI check arrives, with no action needed on your part.
  • The payment amount was $1,400 per person, and most people received it within weeks of the law passing.
  • If you did not receive a payment you believe you were owed, you could claim it on your 2021 tax return or contact the IRS.

When the payments actually arrived

The IRS began sending third stimulus payments in mid-March 2021, when ready after Congress passed the law. SSDI recipients were among the first groups to receive payments because Social Security's records were already current and complete.

Most SSDI recipients received their payment between mid-March and early April 2021. Some received it as a direct deposit to their bank account within days; others received a paper check by mail, which took longer depending on postal delivery in their area. A smaller number received a debit card in the mail.

The IRS continued sending payments through December 2021 to people who became newly may be able to access or whose payment had been delayed. If you did not receive a payment by the end of 2021, you could claim it on your 2021 tax return filed in 2022.

What happened if you did not receive the payment

If you were on SSDI in March 2021 but did not receive a third stimulus payment by the end of that year, the most common reasons were a change in your address that Social Security did not have on file, a closed or invalid bank account, or a processing error.

You could claim the payment as a Recovery Rebate Credit on your 2021 tax return. This required filing a return even if you normally did not file one. The IRS had a worksheet to help you calculate how much you were owed, and you could claim it as a refund.

If you did not file taxes and wanted to claim the payment without filing a return, you could contact the IRS directly. The IRS had a phone line and online tools to help people track their stimulus payments and request a replacement check or debit card if the original was lost or never arrived.

SSDI recipients who became ineligible before March 2021

If your SSDI benefits ended before March 2021 — for example, because you returned to work or your case was reviewed and closed — you did not receive a third stimulus payment based on your SSDI status. However, you may have been sent one based on your tax return from 2020 or 2019 instead.

The IRS used multiple sources to identify who should receive payments: Social Security records, the IRS's own tax records, and Veterans Affairs records. If you had filed a 2020 tax return showing income below the threshold, you would have received a payment even if SSDI had ended.

If you were unsure whether you should have received a payment, the IRS's "Get My Payment" tool let you check the status of your stimulus payment and see which address or account it was sent to.

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients and the third payment

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is a different program from SSDI, though both are run by Social Security. SSI recipients also received the third stimulus payment automatically if they were on the rolls in March 2021, using the same process as SSDI recipients.

The payment rules, amounts, and timing were identical for SSI and SSDI recipients. If you received SSI instead of SSDI, you were treated the same way: the payment went to your bank account or mailing address on file, and you did not need to take any action.

What to do now if you still have not received it

If you are reading this after 2021 and believe you were owed a third stimulus payment, you can still claim it. The important date to claim the payment as a Recovery Rebate Credit on your tax return has passed for most people, but you may still be able to file an amended return or contact the IRS directly.

Contact the IRS at 1-800-829-1040 or visit irs.gov to speak with someone about your specific situation. Bring any documentation you have: your Social Security statement showing you were on SSDI in March 2021, your bank statements showing you did not receive a deposit, or any letters from the IRS about your stimulus payment.

If you need help filing a tax return to claim the payment, many communities offer free tax preparation through the IRS's Volunteer Income Tax information (VITA) program. You can find a VITA site near you on the IRS website.

Frequently Asked Questions

Did I have to report the stimulus payment as income on my SSDI case?

No. The third stimulus payment was not counted as income for SSDI purposes. It did not affect your monthly benefit amount, and you did not need to report it to Social Security. The same was true for SSI recipients, though SSI has stricter rules about what counts as income — the stimulus payment was explicitly excluded.

What if I was in a nursing home or institution when the payment was sent?

If you were in a facility, the payment was still sent to the address Social Security had on file. If the facility did not forward it to you, contact the facility's business office and ask them to help you locate it. You can also contact the IRS to request a replacement payment or claim it on your tax return.

Can I get the third stimulus payment now if I just started SSDI after March 2021?

No, the third stimulus payment was only for people on SSDI (or SSI) when the law passed in March 2021. If you started receiving benefits after that date, you were not sent a third stimulus payment. However, you may have been sent a payment based on your tax return if you filed one.

What if my bank account was closed when the payment was sent?

If your account was closed, the IRS attempted to return the deposit to Social Security, which then sent you a paper check by mail. Check your mail from March through December 2021 for a check. If you never received it, you can claim it on your 2021 tax return or contact the IRS.