The third stimulus was deposited between March and April 2021
The third economic impact payment — the $1,400 check authorized by the American Rescue Plan — went out in two waves. The first batch of payments arrived in bank accounts starting March 17, 2021. The second wave followed in early April 2021. If you received SSDI or SSI, you were included automatically; you did not have to take any action to receive it.
The payment was sent to the bank account or address on file with Social Security. If your direct deposit information was current, the money arrived within days of the official send date. If Social Security had only a mailing address for you, a paper check took one to three weeks longer.
This payment is now in the past. The third stimulus ended in 2021 and no additional stimulus payments have been issued since then. This article explains what happened and why, in case you are trying to understand your payment history or confirm whether you received it.
Key Takeaways
- SSDI and SSI recipients received the $1,400 third stimulus payment automatically between March and April 2021 with no action required.
- Payments went to whatever bank account or mailing address Social Security had on record, so the timing depended on whether you used direct deposit.
- The third stimulus was a one-time payment authorized by Congress in March 2021 and has not been repeated.
- If you did not receive the payment in 2021, you could claim it on your 2021 tax return, but that important date has passed.
How SSDI recipients automatically received the payment
Social Security did not require SSDI or SSI recipients to file a form, call, or visit an office. The agency used the information it already had — your name, address, and bank account if you received direct deposit — to send the money out. This was different from the first two stimulus payments, where some people had to take extra steps.
The Internal Revenue Service and Social Security worked together to identify who should receive the payment. Because you were already in the Social Security system, you were flagged automatically. The payment was treated as a tax credit, not as income that would affect your SSDI or SSI benefits.
Why the timing varied between recipients
If you had set up direct deposit with Social Security — meaning your monthly benefit went straight to your bank account — your stimulus payment arrived the same way, usually within three to five business days of the official send date.
If Social Security had only a mailing address for you, the agency printed and mailed a paper check. Postal delivery took one to three weeks depending on where you lived. Some people received their checks in late March; others did not see them until mid-April or later.
A small number of people had outdated bank account information on file. If that was the case, Social Security attempted to deposit the money, the bank rejected it, and the agency then mailed a paper check instead. This added another two to three weeks to the timeline.
What to do if you never received the third stimulus
If you did not receive the $1,400 payment in 2021 and believe you should have, the window to claim it has closed. The important date to claim an unclaimed stimulus payment on your tax return was April 18, 2022 (the 2021 tax filing important date). That important date has now passed.
If you filed your 2021 tax return and included the stimulus payment as a credit you did not receive, the IRS would have processed that claim. You can check the status of any refund by visiting IRS.gov or calling the IRS directly. If you did not file a 2021 return and did not claim the payment, you cannot claim it now.
If you believe there was an error — for example, if Social Security had the wrong address on file and a check was sent to an old location — you can contact Social Security to ask whether the payment was issued and to which address. Call 1-800-772-1213 to speak with a representative. They can look up the payment in their records.
The difference between the three stimulus payments
| Payment | Amount | Sent to SSDI/SSI recipients | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| First stimulus (CARES Act) | $1,200 | April–May 2020 | Some required action; others received automatically |
| Second stimulus (CRRSA) | $600 | December 2020–January 2021 | Automatic for most; some required action |
| Third stimulus (American Rescue Plan) | $1,400 | March–April 2021 | Automatic for all SSDI/SSI recipients |
The third stimulus was the most straightforward for SSDI and SSI recipients because Social Security had already refined its process. No one had to file a form or verify their status. The payment went out based on existing records.
Why no fourth stimulus has been issued
Congress authorized three stimulus payments during the pandemic: one in March 2020, one in December 2020, and one in March 2021. No additional stimulus payments have been authorized since then. Economic conditions, political disagreement, and the shift away from emergency spending have meant that no fourth payment has been proposed or passed into law.
If Congress were to authorize another stimulus payment in the future, SSDI and SSI recipients would likely receive it the same way: automatically, without having to take action. But as of now, there is no pending legislation for another payment.
How to confirm you received the third stimulus
If you want to verify that you received the $1,400 payment, you have a few options. You can check your bank statement from March or April 2021 to see if the deposit appears. You can also check your Social Security account online at ssa.gov if you have created a my Social Security account. The account shows your payment history and any notes about special payments.
If you filed a 2021 tax return, your tax documents should show whether you claimed the stimulus as a credit. The IRS also has a tool called "Get My Payment" (though it was designed for the earlier stimulus payments and may not show the third one). For the most reliable answer, contact Social Security directly at 1-800-772-1213.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did SSDI recipients have to do anything to get the third stimulus?
No. Social Security sent the $1,400 automatically to everyone on SSDI or SSI. You did not have to file a form, call, or visit an office. The payment was based on the information already in your Social Security record.
What if I got the stimulus but it reduced my SSDI or SSI benefit?
The stimulus payment should not have reduced your benefit. It was treated as a tax credit, not as income. If your benefit went down around the time you received the stimulus, contact Social Security to ask why. The reduction may have been due to a different reason, such as a change in your work income or a cost-of-living adjustment.
Can I still claim the third stimulus on my taxes if I missed the important date?
No. The important date to claim an unclaimed stimulus payment on your 2021 tax return was April 18, 2022. That important date has passed. If you did not receive the payment and did not claim it by then, you cannot claim it now.
Will there be another stimulus payment?
Congress has not authorized a fourth stimulus payment. There is no pending legislation for one. If Congress were to pass another stimulus in the future, SSDI and SSI recipients would receive it automatically, just as they did with the third payment.
How do I know if my address was wrong and my check went somewhere else?
Call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 and ask them to look up the third stimulus payment in their records. They can tell you whether the payment was issued and to which address it was sent. If it went to an old address, ask whether it was returned to Social Security or if there is any other record of it.