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

The third stimulus payment, authorized under the American Rescue Plan Act in March 2021, went to SSDI recipients automatically if they had filed a tax return for 2019 or 2020, or if they were already receiving benefits through Social Security. The Social Security Administration did not require a separate process. If you received SSDI in February 2021, you were included in the payment runs.

The payment amount was $1,400 per person, with additional $1,400 payments for each dependent claimed on a tax return. Payments were deposited to the same bank account or mailed to the same address where you normally received your SSDI benefit.

Because the IRS and Social Security coordinated the payment distribution, timing varied slightly depending on your bank and the method of delivery. Direct deposit payments arrived faster than paper checks.

Key Takeaways

  • SSDI recipients did not need to take any action to receive the third stimulus payment — it was sent automatically if you were receiving benefits in February 2021.
  • The payment arrived between mid-March and mid-April 2021 for most recipients, with direct deposits arriving before paper checks.
  • The payment amount was $1,400 per person, plus $1,400 for each dependent you claimed on a 2019 or 2020 tax return.
  • If you did not receive a payment you believed you were owed, you could claim it on your 2021 tax return using the Recovery Rebate Credit.

How the IRS and Social Security coordinated the third payment

The Social Security Administration provided the IRS with a list of all SSDI beneficiaries who were active in February 2021. The IRS then cross-referenced that list against tax records to determine payment amounts and verify current addresses and bank account information.

For most SSDI recipients, the IRS used the bank account or mailing address on file with Social Security. This meant you did not need to update your information anywhere — the two agencies shared the data they already had. If you had recently changed your address with Social Security but not yet received a benefit payment reflecting that change, there was a risk the check went to an old address.

The payment schedule was staggered over several weeks to prevent the banking system from being overwhelmed. The Social Security Administration prioritized payments to people receiving benefits via direct deposit, since those transfers are faster and more reliable than mailing paper checks.

Timeline for when payments arrived

The IRS began processing third stimulus payments on March 17, 2021. Direct deposit payments to SSDI recipients started arriving in bank accounts between March 17 and March 26, 2021. Paper checks began arriving in mailboxes in early April 2021 and continued through mid-April for recipients in more distant locations.

The exact date your payment arrived depended on three factors: whether you received direct deposit or a paper check, your bank's processing speed, and the postal service's delivery time to your address. A direct deposit payment could appear in your account within one business day of being sent by the IRS. A paper check typically took five to ten business days to arrive after being mailed.

If you did not receive your payment by late April 2021, the IRS provided a tool called "Get My Payment" on its website where you could check the status and, if necessary, update your bank account or mailing address. That tool remained available through the end of 2021.

What to do if you did not receive the third stimulus payment

If you were receiving SSDI in February 2021 but did not receive a $1,400 payment, the first step was to check the IRS "Get My Payment" tool to see whether the payment had been sent and where. If the tool showed a payment was sent to an incorrect address or bank account, you could update your information there.

If the tool showed no payment was sent, or if you could not locate the payment after checking with your bank and waiting two weeks, you could claim the payment as a Recovery Rebate Credit on your 2021 tax return. You would file Form 1040 and attach Schedule 3 to claim the credit. This process recovered the $1,400 as a refund or credit against taxes owed.

The Recovery Rebate Credit remained available for several years after 2021, so missing the initial payment window did not mean losing the money permanently. However, you had to file a tax return to claim it — the IRS did not send a second check or payment automatically.

SSDI recipients who received the payment automatically

You received the third stimulus payment automatically if you met both of these conditions: you were receiving SSDI benefits in February 2021, and the Social Security Administration had your correct mailing address or bank account information on file.

You did not need to have filed a tax return for 2020 or 2019 to receive the payment as an SSDI recipient. Social Security's records were sufficient. However, if you had dependents and wanted the additional $1,400 per dependent, you needed to have claimed those dependents on a 2019 or 2020 tax return, or you could claim them retroactively on your 2021 return.

SSDI recipients who were also working and filing taxes were treated the same as other workers — they received the payment based on their Social Security record, not their tax filing status.

Dependent payments and the third stimulus

The third stimulus included $1,400 for each dependent you claimed on your 2019 or 2020 tax return. For SSDI recipients, this meant the payment could be higher than $1,400 if you had children or other dependents listed on a recent return.

If you had dependents but had not filed a tax return in 2019 or 2020, you could still claim them on your 2021 return and receive the dependent portion of the third stimulus as a Recovery Rebate Credit. The IRS accepted retroactive dependent claims for this purpose.

If you had a child born in 2021 or gained a new dependent after the payment was sent, that dependent was not included in the third stimulus. However, you could claim the credit for that dependent on your 2021 tax return if you met the income limits.

Frequently Asked Questions

Did I have to do anything to get the third stimulus if I was on SSDI?

No. If you were receiving SSDI in February 2021, the payment was sent automatically to your bank account or mailing address on file with Social Security. You did not need to contact anyone or fill out any forms.

What if I moved and the check went to my old address?

If you had notified Social Security of your address change before February 2021, the payment should have gone to your new address. If it went to an old address, you could check the IRS "Get My Payment" tool to confirm where it was sent, then contact your local post office to see if they could forward it. If the check was lost, you could claim the amount on your 2021 tax return using the Recovery Rebate Credit.

Can I still get the third stimulus if I missed it in 2021?

Yes. You can claim the third stimulus payment on your 2021 tax return using the Recovery Rebate Credit, even if you did not receive it when it was originally sent. You will need to file a tax return or have someone file it on your behalf. The credit can reduce your tax bill or increase your refund.

What if I received the payment but it was the wrong amount?

If you received less than $1,400 and had no dependents, contact the IRS at 1-800-829-1040 to report the discrepancy. If you had dependents and did not receive the full amount per dependent, you can claim the difference on your 2021 tax return using the Recovery Rebate Credit.

Did SSDI recipients get all three stimulus payments?

Most SSDI recipients received all three stimulus payments (in 2020, 2021, and 2021) automatically. The first two were sent in spring and summer 2020, and the third in spring 2021. If you were receiving SSDI during those periods and your address was current, you should have received all three.