SSDI recipients received the third stimulus payment on the same schedule as other Social Security beneficiaries, with most deposits arriving between March and May 2021

The third Economic Impact Payment (the $1,400 per-person check authorized in March 2021) went to SSDI beneficiaries automatically if the Social Security Administration had their banking information on file. You did not have to take any action to receive it. The IRS and Social Security coordinated to send payments in waves: the first batch went out in mid-March 2021, with additional batches continuing through May 2021.

If you received SSDI benefits in 2020, Social Security already had your direct deposit details or mailing address. The payment used that same routing. Payments arrived as direct deposits to the account Social Security had on record, or as paper checks mailed to your address if you had not set up direct deposit.

The third stimulus was different from the first two in one important way: Social Security did not send a separate notice telling you the payment was coming. Many SSDI recipients only learned about it when the money appeared in their account or a check arrived in the mail.

Key Takeaways

  • SSDI recipients received the third stimulus payment automatically between March and May 2021 using the bank account or mailing address Social Security had on file.
  • No action was required on your part—Social Security and the IRS coordinated the payment without you having to file a tax return or contact either agency.
  • The payment amount was $1,400 per person, with an additional $1,400 for each dependent claimed on your 2020 tax return.
  • If you did not receive your payment by June 2021, you could check the status using the IRS Get My Payment tool or contact Social Security directly.

How Social Security sent the third payment to SSDI recipients

Social Security used the same payment method you were already receiving your monthly SSDI benefit through. If your benefit was direct-deposited to your bank account, the stimulus went to that account. If you received a paper check each month, Social Security mailed your stimulus check to the address on file.

The IRS provided Social Security with the list of people who were may have access to to the payment based on 2020 tax returns and Social Security records. Social Security then processed those payments in batches and released them to the banking system or postal service over several weeks. The first wave hit accounts in mid-March 2021, with subsequent waves continuing through May.

You did not need to update your information, file anything, or contact Social Security. The payment was treated as a one-time credit, not as income that would affect your SSDI benefit amount in future months.

What to do if you did not receive your third stimulus payment by mid-2021

If your payment did not arrive by June 2021, the first step was to check the status using the IRS Get My Payment tool on the IRS website. That tool showed whether the IRS had processed your payment, the amount, and the delivery method (direct deposit or check).

If the tool showed your payment was sent by direct deposit but never arrived in your account, you could contact your bank to ask whether the deposit was rejected or returned. Banks sometimes reject deposits if the account was closed or if there was a mismatch in account information.

If the tool showed your payment was mailed as a check but you never received it, you could file a claim with the IRS for a replacement check. That process required Form 3911, which you could obtain from the IRS website or by calling 1-800-829-1040. Processing a replacement check typically took four to six weeks.

SSDI recipients who had questions about their specific payment could also contact Social Security directly at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778). Social Security could confirm whether the payment had been processed on their end, though they could not speed up delivery or issue replacement payments directly.

Dependents and the third stimulus payment

The third stimulus included $1,400 for each dependent you claimed on your 2020 tax return, in addition to your own $1,400. Dependents had to be under age 17 and claimed as a dependent on your return to may have access to.

If you had dependents, Social Security and the IRS used your 2020 tax return to determine the total payment amount. The entire amount (your $1,400 plus dependent payments) was sent to the same account or address as your own payment. You did not receive separate payments for each dependent.

If your dependent information changed between your 2020 tax return and 2021 (for example, if a dependent turned 17 or you had a new child), the third stimulus was based on your 2020 return only. Any adjustments for 2021 dependents would have been handled through your 2021 tax return, filed in 2022.

How the third stimulus affected your SSDI benefits

The third stimulus payment did not count as income for purposes of your SSDI benefit calculation. Social Security does not reduce or suspend SSDI benefits based on stimulus payments, and the payment did not affect your Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits either, as long as you spent it within the same month you received it.

If you received SSI (a needs-based program separate from SSDI), holding the stimulus payment in your account past the month you received it could have affected your SSI may be able to access, since SSI has strict resource limits. However, most SSI recipients were treated as having spent the payment in the month received, so this was rarely an issue in practice.

The stimulus payment was not reported to the IRS as income on your 2021 tax return, and it did not create a tax liability. It was a one-time transfer of funds, not taxable income.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I still claim the third stimulus if I did not receive it in 2021?

If you did not receive the third stimulus by the end of 2021, you could claim it on your 2021 tax return as a Recovery Rebate Credit. You would file Form 1040 with Schedule 3 and report the amount you did not receive. The IRS would then issue the payment as a refund or credit against taxes owed. This option was available through the tax filing important date.

What if I received SSDI but was not on Social Security's records in 2020?

If you started receiving SSDI after 2020 or if Social Security did not have your information in their system, you would not have received the third stimulus automatically. You could claim it on your 2021 tax return using the Recovery Rebate Credit, or contact the IRS directly to report that you did not receive it.

Did the third stimulus count as income for Medicaid or other benefits?

The third stimulus did not count as income for Medicaid, SNAP, housing information, or other means-tested programs. Most programs treated it as a one-time payment that did not affect your benefit calculation. However, if you held the payment in a bank account and it pushed your total resources over the limit for SSI, it could have affected SSI may be able to access temporarily.

Why did I not receive a notice from Social Security about the third stimulus?

Social Security did not send advance notices for the third stimulus the way it did for the first two payments. The IRS and Social Security coordinated behind the scenes, and payments were released without individual notification. Many recipients only learned about the payment when it arrived in their account or mailbox.

What if my address or bank account changed between 2020 and 2021?

If you updated your address or bank account with Social Security after 2020, the third stimulus still went to the information Social Security had on file in early 2021. If you moved or changed banks without notifying Social Security, the payment may have gone to an old address or account. You could check the IRS Get My Payment tool to see where it was sent, then contact your bank or file a claim for a replacement check.