SSDI recipients got the third stimulus check on the same schedule as other Social Security beneficiaries, with most payments 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 the Social Security Administration already had their banking information on file. You did not have to take any action to receive it. The IRS and Social Security coordinated the distribution so that people receiving SSDI, SSI, or other Social Security benefits got their payments without filing a tax return or submitting a separate form.

The payment amount was $1,400 per person for most recipients. Payments began rolling out in mid-March 2021 and continued through April. Some arrived as direct deposits to bank accounts within days of the authorization date. Others came as paper checks or debit cards, which took longer to arrive depending on mail delivery and the method Social Security used to send yours.

Key Takeaways

  • SSDI recipients received the third stimulus check automatically between March and April 2021 if Social Security had their bank account information.
  • The payment was $1,400 per person and required no process, tax filing, or separate request from the recipient.
  • Direct deposits arrived fastest, usually within one to two weeks of the authorization date; paper checks and debit cards took longer.
  • If you did not receive a payment by May 2021, you could check the IRS "Get My Payment" tool or contact Social Security to verify your address and banking details.

How Social Security distributed the payment to SSDI recipients

Social Security used the banking information it already held for SSDI beneficiaries to send the third stimulus check. If you had set up direct deposit for your regular SSDI payment, the stimulus went to that same account. The IRS and Social Security shared data so that no separate enrollment was necessary.

For people who received SSDI but had not provided bank account details to Social Security, the agency sent a paper check or a debit card instead. Paper checks were mailed from IRS processing centers and arrived according to standard postal delivery times. Debit cards, issued by a contractor, also arrived by mail but sometimes took longer because they had to be activated before use.

Timeline for when payments arrived

The IRS began processing the third stimulus on March 12, 2021, the day President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act. Social Security coordinated with the IRS to prioritize SSDI and other benefit recipients because the agency already had their addresses and banking information on file.

Most direct deposits to SSDI recipients' accounts occurred between March 17 and March 29, 2021. Paper checks began arriving in mailboxes in late March and continued through April. Debit cards arrived on a similar timeline but sometimes took until mid-April or later, depending on the mail carrier and the recipient's location. If you received your regular SSDI payment by direct deposit, your stimulus check arrived the same way and at roughly the same time.

What to do if you did not receive the payment by May 2021

If your third stimulus check did not arrive by early May 2021, the first step was to check whether Social Security had the correct address and banking information. You could call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 to verify the address on file and confirm that your direct deposit details were current. If your address was wrong, Social Security could update it, though the payment would have already been sent to the old address.

The IRS also operated the "Get My Payment" tool on its website, which let you check the status of your stimulus payment and see whether it had been sent, the amount, and the method (direct deposit, check, or debit card). If the tool showed the payment was sent but you never received it, you could file a claim with the IRS for a missing or stolen check.

For people who moved after Social Security sent the check, the post office could forward it to the new address if you had filed a change-of-address form. If the check was lost or never arrived, you could request a replacement check from the IRS by mail or through the Get My Payment tool.

SSDI recipients who were incarcerated or deceased

SSDI recipients who were incarcerated at the time the third stimulus was authorized were not sent a payment. The IRS and Social Security screened for incarceration status using data from the Bureau of Prisons and state corrections departments. If you were incarcerated when the payment was issued but have since been released, you could not claim the third stimulus retroactively.

If an SSDI recipient died before the payment was issued, Social Security did not send a stimulus check to that person. If a check was mailed to a deceased recipient and a family member received it, the IRS required that the payment be returned. The family member could not keep or cash the check.

Differences between the third stimulus and earlier payments

The third stimulus was the fastest to reach SSDI recipients because Social Security had refined its coordination with the IRS based on the first two payments. The first stimulus (April 2020) and second stimulus (December 2020) also went to SSDI recipients automatically, but the third payment benefited from lessons learned during those earlier distributions.

The third stimulus amount ($1,400) was higher than the first ($1,200) and second ($600) payments. The income limits for receiving the full amount were also different: the third stimulus phased out for single filers earning over $75,000 and joint filers earning over $150,000, whereas earlier payments had different thresholds. SSDI recipients with little or no other income received the full $1,400.

Frequently Asked Questions

Did I have to file taxes to get the third stimulus if I receive SSDI?

No. SSDI recipients received the third stimulus automatically without filing a tax return. Social Security sent the payment based on the information it already had. If you did not receive it, you could claim it on your 2021 tax return, but filing was not required to get the payment in the first place.

What if my bank account information changed after I got the first or second stimulus?

If you updated your banking information with Social Security between the second and third stimulus, the third payment went to your new account. If you did not update it, the payment went to the old account. You could contact Social Security to verify which account received the deposit.

Could I get the third stimulus if I was on SSI instead of SSDI?

Yes. SSI recipients received the third stimulus on the same schedule as SSDI recipients. Both programs are administered by Social Security, and both groups received automatic payments in March and April 2021 without taking any action.

If I never got the third stimulus, can I still claim it now?

You could claim the third stimulus on your 2021 tax return if you did not receive it. The IRS allowed people to claim the payment as a credit even years later if they did not get it when it was issued. You would need to file a 2021 return or amend a return you already filed.