SSDI recipients got Golden State Stimulus payments on a rolling schedule between March and July 2023

The Golden State Stimulus II program, administered by California's Franchise Tax Board, sent payments to Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) recipients in waves. The first payments went out in early March 2023, with subsequent batches following through mid-July 2023. If you received SSDI in 2020 or 2021 and met income limits, you were included in the program — but the exact timing of your payment depended on how the Franchise Tax Board processed your Social Security Administration records.

Most SSDI recipients who were may be able to access received their $600 payment by direct deposit to the same account where they receive their monthly SSDI benefit. Some received paper checks by mail if they had no bank account on file with Social Security. The Franchise Tax Board did not send notices in advance; payments straightforward appeared in bank accounts or arrived as checks without warning.

Key Takeaways

  • Golden State Stimulus II payments to SSDI recipients were distributed between March and July 2023, with no single payment date for all recipients.
  • Payments went to the same bank account or address where you receive your regular SSDI benefit, so you did not need to take any action to receive the money.
  • The $600 payment was one-time only and did not affect your SSDI benefit amount or Medicare coverage.
  • If you did not receive a payment by August 2023, you could contact the Franchise Tax Board to report a missing payment, though the program has now closed.

Why SSDI recipients were included in the stimulus

California's Golden State Stimulus II was designed to reach low-income residents who had been affected by the pandemic. SSDI recipients were automatically included because most live below the income threshold — the program covered single filers with income up to $75,000 and joint filers up to $150,000. Social Security Disability Insurance benefits are typically modest, so nearly all SSDI recipients fell within that range.

The Franchise Tax Board used Social Security Administration data to identify who received SSDI in 2020 or 2021. You did not need to file a tax return or submit any paperwork. If you were on SSDI during those years, the state already had your information and processed you automatically.

How payments were sent to your bank account

The Franchise Tax Board matched SSDI recipient records with banking information on file at Social Security. If you had set up direct deposit for your SSDI benefit, your stimulus payment went to that same account. This was the fastest route — most direct deposit payments arrived within one to three business days of the Franchise Tax Board issuing them.

If you received SSDI by check each month instead of direct deposit, the Franchise Tax Board mailed you a paper check. These checks took longer to arrive, typically one to two weeks from the mailing date. Some recipients reported receiving checks as late as August 2023, even though the official distribution window ended in July.

What to do if you never received your payment

If you were certain you met the income and SSDI requirements but did not receive a $600 payment by late August 2023, you could contact the Franchise Tax Board's Golden State Stimulus hotline. However, the program officially closed in 2023, and the Franchise Tax Board no longer processes new claims or investigates missing payments from that program.

If you believe you were may have access to to the payment, you can still contact the Franchise Tax Board to ask about your status, though they may not be able to reissue funds. Keep any documentation showing you received SSDI during the relevant period — your Social Security statement or bank records showing your monthly benefit deposit.

Whether the stimulus affected your SSDI or Medicare

The Golden State Stimulus II payment did not reduce your SSDI benefit amount. Social Security treats one-time stimulus payments as non-countable income, meaning they do not trigger a benefit reduction or overpayment notice. You kept the full $600 without any offset to your monthly check.

The payment also did not affect your Medicare coverage. If you were on Medicare because of your SSDI status, your coverage continued unchanged. The stimulus money did not count toward any resource limits or income thresholds that Medicare uses.

Stimulus payments and SSI recipients

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients were handled differently from SSDI recipients. SSI has strict resource limits — $2,000 for individuals and $3,000 for couples — and the Golden State Stimulus II payment could have pushed some SSI recipients over those limits temporarily. However, California's Department of Social Services issued guidance that the stimulus payment would not count as a resource for SSI purposes, so SSI recipients could receive the money without losing their benefits.

If you received both SSDI and SSI (a situation called "concurrent benefits"), you received only one $600 payment, not two. The Franchise Tax Board processed you once based on your primary benefit type.

Frequently Asked Questions

Did the Golden State Stimulus payment count as income for tax purposes?

No. The stimulus payment was not taxable income and did not need to be reported on your federal or state tax return. It was a one-time relief payment, not wages or benefits subject to income tax.

What if I moved and my bank account changed between when I applied and when the payment was sent?

If you updated your address or bank account with Social Security after the Franchise Tax Board had already processed your payment, the money may have gone to your old account or address. You would need to contact your bank or check with the Franchise Tax Board to trace the payment. This program has now closed, so recovery options are limited.

Could I have received the stimulus if I was on SSDI but also working?

Yes. SSDI recipients who work and earn income can still receive stimulus payments as long as their total income stays below the threshold. The stimulus itself does not count as earnings, so it did not affect your work incentive programs or trial work period.

Did the stimulus payment affect my Medicaid or other benefits?

The stimulus payment did not affect Medicaid, CalFresh (food information), or other means-tested programs in California. Like SSDI, these programs were instructed to treat the stimulus as non-countable income.