When Will SSDI Recipients Get the Third Stimulus Check?

The third stimulus check — formally the Economic Impact Payment (EIP3) authorized under the American Rescue Plan Act of March 2021 — has already been distributed. If you're an SSDI recipient wondering whether you received yours, when it arrived, or why you might not have gotten it, here's what you need to know about how that payment worked for people on Social Security Disability Insurance.

The Third Stimulus Check Has Already Been Sent

The IRS began issuing EIP3 payments in March 2021, and the vast majority were sent within weeks of the law's passage. For most SSDI recipients, the payment arrived the same way their monthly benefits do — either by direct deposit to the bank account on file with the SSA, or by paper check or prepaid debit card mailed to the address in SSA records.

The IRS used Social Security Administration data to identify and pay SSDI recipients automatically. Most people on SSDI did not need to file a tax return or take any separate action to receive the payment.

There are no more scheduled stimulus payments at this time. EIP3 was the last federally authorized Economic Impact Payment as of this writing. Any future stimulus would require new legislation.

How Much Was the Third Stimulus Check?

The base amounts authorized under the American Rescue Plan were:

These amounts phased out based on income. For single filers, the phase-out began at $75,000 in adjusted gross income and reached zero at $80,000. For married couples filing jointly, the phase-out ran from $150,000 to $160,000.

For most SSDI recipients whose only income is their disability benefit, income was typically well below those thresholds — meaning they generally received the full payment. But individual tax situations vary, particularly for those with other household income, a working spouse, or investment income.

Why Some SSDI Recipients May Not Have Received EIP3 💡

Even though most payments went out automatically, some SSDI recipients didn't receive their payment — or received less than expected. Common reasons include:

Banking or address information was outdated. The IRS used the most recent information it had on file, either from your tax return or from SSA records. If your bank account changed or you moved, the payment may have gone to the wrong place or been returned.

The payment was intercepted for certain debts. Unlike EIP1, the third stimulus check was not protected from private debt collection garnishment under federal law in the same way it was protected from federal debts. If you had an active bank account levy from a private creditor, some funds may have been seized — though some states acted to provide additional protection.

Income exceeded the phase-out threshold. If your 2020 tax return showed income above the limit — for example, if you or your spouse earned wages, received a large retirement distribution, or had other income — your payment may have been reduced or eliminated.

You had a representative payee. SSDI recipients with a representative payee had their payment directed to that payee, who was responsible for using it on the beneficiary's behalf. If you were uncertain where the funds went, the payee should have documentation.

You were claimed as a dependent on someone else's return. Adults claimed as dependents on another person's 2020 tax return were not eligible to receive their own EIP3. This situation can affect some adult SSDI recipients who live with family.

What If You Never Received EIP3?

If you believe you were eligible but never received the third stimulus payment, the mechanism for claiming it was the Recovery Rebate Credit on your 2021 federal income tax return (Form 1040). That credit allowed eligible individuals to claim any EIP3 amount they were owed but didn't receive.

The deadline to file a 2021 return and claim that credit has passed for most people — the standard deadline was April 2025 for late filers seeking a refund. The IRS did take steps in late 2023 and early 2024 to identify some non-filers who may have been eligible and issue automatic payments, but those efforts were also time-limited.

If you believe you have an unresolved EIP3 issue, contacting the IRS directly — not the SSA — is the correct path, since stimulus payments were a tax administration function.

SSDI vs. SSI: An Important Distinction

It's worth separating two groups that are often lumped together:

• SSDI recipients receive benefits based on their work history and paid Social Security taxes. The IRS used SSA data to pay them automatically.
• SSI recipients (Supplemental Security Income) receive needs-based benefits and do not necessarily have a tax filing history. The IRS also used SSA data to pay SSI recipients automatically, but some SSI-only recipients who had dependents were initially required to provide additional information through an IRS portal — a requirement that caused confusion and delays for some in early rounds.

If you receive both SSDI and SSI, your payment should have been handled through the same SSA-to-IRS data process.

The Variable That Matters Most

Whether any individual SSDI recipient received the correct EIP3 amount — or is still owed anything — comes down to their specific tax filing status, 2019 and 2020 income, dependent situation, banking information at the time, and whether a representative payee was involved. 🔍

The program rules described here applied universally. How they applied to any one person's household is a different question entirely.