SSDI recipients got the second stimulus check on the same schedule as everyone else

If you received SSDI (Social Security Disability Insurance) in 2020, you did not have to do anything special to get the second stimulus check. The payment went to the same bank account or address where Social Security sent your regular monthly benefit. The IRS and Social Security coordinated the distribution, so your SSDI status determined nothing about timing — your payment date depended on how the government had your account set up and when the IRS processed batches.

The second stimulus check was authorized in late December 2020 and the IRS began distributing payments in early January 2021. Most SSDI recipients received their $600 payment (or $1,200 for a married couple filing jointly) between January and mid-March 2021. Some received it as a direct deposit; others got a paper check or debit card in the mail.

If you did not receive a second stimulus payment by April 2021, the reason was usually one of three things: the IRS had incorrect banking information on file, your address was outdated, or you did not meet the income limits for that year. You could have filed a 2020 tax return to claim the payment as a credit, even if you normally did not file.

Key Takeaways

  • SSDI recipients received the second stimulus check automatically using the same payment method Social Security used for monthly benefits.
  • Payments were distributed between January and March 2021, with no action required from the recipient.
  • If you did not receive the payment, you could claim it on your 2020 tax return as a recovery rebate credit.
  • The payment amount was $600 per person, or $1,200 for a married couple filing jointly, plus $600 per dependent child.

How the IRS knew where to send the money

The IRS used information from your most recent tax return to locate you. If you filed a 2019 tax return, the IRS had your address and banking details from that filing. If you had not filed a return in years but received SSDI, Social Security shared your account information with the IRS so the payment could reach you.

This coordination meant SSDI recipients did not need to register or provide new information. The system worked automatically for most people. However, if you had moved since your last tax return and did not notify the IRS, or if your bank account had closed, the payment might have been sent to an old address or returned to the IRS.

What happened if the payment went to the wrong place

If a check arrived at an old address, the postal service would return it to the IRS marked "address unknown." The IRS then held the payment and waited for you to claim it. You could claim the second stimulus payment on your 2020 tax return by filing Form 1040 and calculating the recovery rebate credit.

If your direct deposit was sent to a closed bank account, the bank returned the funds to the IRS within a few days. Again, you could recover the money by filing a 2020 tax return. The IRS did not automatically re-send payments to a new account — you had to file the return yourself or contact the IRS directly.

The IRS also had a tool called the "Get My Payment" portal where you could check the status of your second stimulus payment. This portal showed whether the IRS had sent your payment, where it was sent, and when. If the status said "payment status not available," it usually meant the IRS had not yet processed your payment or you did not meet the income requirements.

Income limits that might have blocked the payment

The second stimulus check had income limits based on your 2019 tax return (or 2020 if you filed early). For a single person, the payment began to reduce at $75,000 in income and disappeared entirely at $99,000. For a married couple filing jointly, it reduced at $150,000 and disappeared at $198,000.

If your 2019 income was above these thresholds, you would not have received the second stimulus payment automatically. However, if your 2020 income was lower than your 2019 income, you could file a 2020 tax return and claim the recovery rebate credit based on your actual 2020 earnings. This was one of the few ways to recover a payment you did not receive initially.

SSDI and the third stimulus check (the American Rescue Plan payment)

The third stimulus check, authorized in March 2021, followed the same process as the second. SSDI recipients received $1,400 per person (or $2,800 for a married couple) automatically, using the same payment method as their monthly benefit. The IRS began distributing these payments in mid-March 2021 and continued through September 2021.

Like the second payment, the third check had income limits. For a single person, the payment reduced at $75,000 and disappeared at $99,000. For a married couple, it reduced at $150,000 and disappeared at $198,000. If you did not receive it because of income, you could claim it on your 2021 tax return.

What to do if you still have not received either payment

If you did not receive the second or third stimulus check and you believe you should have, the first step is to file a tax return for the year in question (2020 for the second check, 2021 for the third). On that return, you claim the recovery rebate credit, which is the IRS's way of letting you recover a stimulus payment you missed.

You can file a return even if you normally do not file taxes, as long as your income was below the filing threshold for that year. The IRS will process your return and send you the credit as a refund. This process takes several weeks to several months depending on how busy the IRS is.

If you have already filed a return for that year and did not claim the credit, you can file an amended return using Form 1040-X. This tells the IRS you want to claim the stimulus payment you missed. Again, this takes time to process, but the payment will come once the IRS reviews your amended return.

Frequently Asked Questions

Did SSDI recipients have to file a tax return to get the second stimulus check?

No. If the IRS had your correct address or bank account on file from a previous tax return, the payment was sent automatically. You only needed to file a return if you did not receive the payment and wanted to claim it later.

What if I received SSDI but the stimulus check went to my representative payee instead of me?

If you have a representative payee managing your SSDI account, the stimulus check was sent to the payee's address or bank account on file with Social Security. The payee is responsible for using the money for your benefit. If you believe the payee did not give you the money, you can contact Social Security's Office of the Inspector General.

Can I still claim the second stimulus check if it has been over a year?

Yes. You can file an amended 2020 tax return at any time to claim the recovery rebate credit for the second stimulus check. There is no time limit on amending a return to claim a credit you are owed, though the IRS processes older amended returns more slowly.

Did the stimulus checks count as income for SSDI purposes?

No. The stimulus payments were not counted as income for SSDI, SSI, or other means-tested benefits. They did not affect your monthly benefit amount or your may be able to access to receive SSDI.

What if I moved and the check was returned to the IRS?

The IRS held the payment and you could claim it by filing a 2020 tax return (for the second check) or 2021 tax return (for the third check) with the recovery rebate credit. You did not need to contact the IRS first — filing the return was enough to recover the money.