SSDI recipients got the first 2020 stimulus check between April and May 2020

If you received SSDI in 2020, the IRS deposited your first stimulus payment (the Economic Impact Payment) directly into the same bank account where your SSDI payments landed. Most SSDI recipients saw the money between April 24 and May 8, 2020. The payment was $1,200 per adult and $500 per child under 17.

You did not have to do anything to receive it. The IRS pulled your information from Social Security's records and sent the payment automatically. This was different from how some other benefit recipients had to claim the money — SSDI recipients were treated as a priority group because Social Security already had their banking details on file.

The timing depended partly on which bank you used and how quickly it processed the deposit. Some accounts showed the money within days of the IRS sending it; others took a week or more. If you did not receive your payment by mid-May 2020, you could check the status using the IRS's "Get My Payment" tool on irs.gov.

Key Takeaways

  • SSDI recipients received the first 2020 stimulus check automatically between April and May 2020 without having to file anything or contact the IRS.
  • The payment went directly to the bank account linked to your SSDI direct deposit, so you did not need to provide new banking information.
  • The first payment was $1,200 per adult and $500 per child under 17, with no income limits for SSDI recipients.
  • If your payment did not arrive by mid-May 2020, the IRS "Get My Payment" tool let you check the status and confirm your address and bank account were correct.

Why SSDI recipients did not have to file a tax return to get the payment

Most SSDI recipients do not file federal income tax returns because their SSDI income is not taxable. The IRS knew this and did not require them to file one just to receive the stimulus check. Instead, the IRS worked directly with Social Security to identify who received SSDI and automatically sent the payment.

This automatic approach was faster than waiting for people to file a return or claim the money later. It also meant that people who had no income other than SSDI — and who would never have filed a return — still received their full payment on time. The only SSDI recipients who had to take extra steps were those whose address or banking information had changed since their last Social Security contact.

What happened if your payment did not arrive by May 2020

If you did not see your stimulus check by mid-May 2020, the first step was to check the IRS "Get My Payment" tool. You entered your Social Security number, date of birth, and street address. The tool told you whether the IRS had sent your payment, which date it was sent, and whether it went to a bank account or a mailed check.

If the tool said your payment was sent to a bank account but you never received it, you had three options. First, you could wait another week — some banks took longer to post deposits. Second, you could contact your bank to ask if the deposit had arrived under a different name or account. Third, you could file a claim with the IRS by mail or when you filed your next tax return, though this took several months.

If the tool said your payment was mailed as a check, you could wait up to two weeks for it to arrive. If it never came, you could file a claim with the IRS. The IRS also issued replacement checks to people whose original check was lost or stolen, but this process took time.

The second and third stimulus payments in 2020 and 2021

Congress passed two more stimulus bills after the first one. The second payment ($600 per adult, $600 per child) was sent in December 2020 and January 2021. The third payment ($1,400 per adult, $1,400 per child) was sent in March and April 2021. SSDI recipients received both of these the same way as the first — automatically, with no action required.

All three payments went to the same bank account where your SSDI direct deposit was set up. If you had changed banks between payments, you needed to update your banking information with Social Security so the IRS could reach the correct account. You could do this by visiting ssa.gov, calling Social Security at 1-800-772-1213, or visiting a local Social Security office.

If you received SSI instead of SSDI

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients also received the stimulus payments automatically, but the timing was slightly different. SSI payments are made on the first, third, or fourth of each month depending on your birth date. The IRS coordinated with SSA to send SSI recipients their stimulus checks around the same time as SSDI recipients, but some SSI recipients saw their payments a few days later.

Like SSDI recipients, SSI recipients did not have to file a tax return or take any action. The payment was automatic and went to the same account as their regular SSI deposit. The amount was the same: $1,200 for the first payment, $600 for the second, and $1,400 for the third.

What if your address or bank account information was wrong

If the IRS had an incorrect address on file, they mailed your check to that old address instead of depositing it. If you moved and did not tell Social Security, this was likely what happened. You could file a claim with the IRS to request a replacement check or a deposit to your current bank account, but this took several weeks.

To prevent this problem with future payments, you should have updated your address with Social Security as soon as you moved. You could do this online at ssa.gov, by phone at 1-800-772-1213, or in person at a local office. Keeping your banking information current also mattered — if you closed the account where your SSDI was deposited and opened a new one, you needed to tell Social Security the new account number.

Frequently Asked Questions

Did I have to pay taxes on the stimulus check?

No. The stimulus payments were not considered income and did not affect your SSDI benefits, Medicare, or Medicaid. You did not report them on a tax return, and they did not count toward any income limits for other programs.

Could the stimulus check affect my SSDI or SSI benefits?

The first stimulus payment ($1,200) did not count as income for SSDI or SSI purposes. The second and third payments also did not affect your benefits. SSDI has no income limit, so the payments never mattered for SSDI. For SSI, the payments were excluded from the resource limit for a limited time, though rules varied by state.

What if I never received any of the three stimulus payments?

You could claim the missing payments on your 2020 or 2021 tax return by filing Form 1040 with Schedule 3, or you could file a claim with the IRS. The IRS had a process for issuing replacement checks, though it took several months. Contacting the IRS at 1-800-829-1040 could help you trace a missing payment.

Did I have to do anything different because I receive SSDI?

No. SSDI recipients were treated as a priority group and received their payments automatically without filing a tax return or contacting the IRS. You only needed to act if your address or bank account information had changed since Social Security last updated it.