SSDI recipients received the third stimulus check on the same schedule as other Social Security beneficiaries, with most payments arriving between March and May 2021

The third stimulus payment, authorized under the American Rescue Plan Act in March 2021, went to SSDI recipients automatically if they were already receiving benefits. You did not have to file a tax return or take any action to receive it. The Social Security Administration (SSA) processed these payments in batches based on your birth date and payment type, so the exact arrival date depended on when SSA sent your group.

If you were receiving SSDI in March 2021, the payment should have reached your bank account or arrived as a paper check within the timeframe SSA announced for your group. The amount was $1,400 per person, with an additional $1,400 for each dependent child under 17 claimed on your tax return. If you did not receive your payment during the announced window, the reasons and next steps differed depending on your situation.

Key Takeaways

  • SSDI recipients did not need to take any action to receive the third stimulus check; SSA sent it automatically based on existing benefit records.
  • Payments were sent in waves between March and May 2021, with the specific date determined by your birth date and whether you received SSDI or SSI.
  • The payment amount was $1,400 per person, plus $1,400 for each dependent child under 17 on your most recent tax return.
  • If your payment did not arrive during the announced window, you could check the status using the IRS Get My Payment tool or contact SSA directly.

How SSA scheduled third stimulus payments for SSDI recipients

The Social Security Administration sent third stimulus payments in three main waves. The first wave, which included most SSDI recipients, went out in mid-March 2021. The second wave followed in late March and early April, and the third wave continued through May 2021. Within each wave, SSA staggered payments by birth date to avoid overwhelming the banking system.

SSDI recipients who received their benefit payment via direct deposit typically saw the stimulus check arrive within one to three business days of SSA sending it. Those who received a paper check by mail waited seven to ten business days after the send date. SSA announced the payment schedule in advance, and you could find your expected payment date on the SSA website or by calling 1-800-772-1213.

What determined your specific payment date

Your birth date was the primary factor in determining when SSA sent your third stimulus payment. Recipients born in January and February received payments first, followed by those born in March and April, and so on through December. This staggered approach meant that two SSDI recipients in the same household could receive their payments weeks apart.

Your payment method also mattered. Direct deposit recipients received funds faster than those receiving paper checks. If SSA had an invalid bank account on file, the payment was issued as a paper check instead, which added time. If you had recently changed your address or bank account information with SSA, there was a risk that the payment went to an old address or account, which is why checking the status was important if you did not receive it when expected.

Checking the status of your third stimulus payment

The IRS provided a tool called Get My Payment that let you check whether your third stimulus payment had been sent and when it was scheduled to arrive. You could access this tool on the IRS website using your Social Security number, date of birth, and mailing address. The tool showed the payment date, the amount, and the method (direct deposit or check).

If the Get My Payment tool showed that your payment had been sent but you had not received it after the expected timeframe, you had several options. If it was sent via direct deposit, you could contact your bank to confirm whether the deposit had been received and posted to your account. If it was sent as a check, you could wait an additional week or contact the IRS at 1-800-829-1040 to request a replacement check or have the payment reissued as a direct deposit if you provided updated banking information.

Reasons SSDI recipients did not receive the third stimulus check

Most SSDI recipients who were on the rolls in March 2021 received the third stimulus payment automatically. However, some did not, and the reason usually fell into one of a few categories. If you had recently started receiving SSDI after the payment was processed, you would not have been included in that wave. If you had died before the payment was sent, SSA would not have issued it (though if you died after the check was sent, the recipient of your estate was responsible for returning it).

If SSA had an incorrect or outdated address on file, the paper check may have been sent to the wrong location. If you had a representative payee managing your SSDI benefits, the payment was sent to the payee's address, not yours. If you were incarcerated, SSA did not send the payment. If you owed a federal debt such as back taxes or student loans, the payment could have been offset to pay that debt, which meant you would not receive the full amount or any amount.

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

If you did not receive your third stimulus payment by late May 2021, your first step was to confirm that SSA actually sent it. Use the Get My Payment tool to check the status. If the tool showed no record of a payment, contact SSA at 1-800-772-1213 to verify that you were on the SSDI rolls in March 2021 and that SSA had your correct address and banking information on file.

If the tool showed that the payment was sent but you never received it, the next step depended on the payment method. For direct deposit, contact your bank and ask whether the deposit was received. Provide the bank with the exact date SSA sent the payment. If the bank has no record of it, ask the bank to file a trace to locate the payment. For paper checks, wait until mid-June before assuming it was lost, since mail can take longer than expected. If you still have not received it by then, contact the IRS at 1-800-829-1040 and request a replacement check or a reissue via direct deposit.

If the Get My Payment tool showed that your payment was offset to pay a federal debt, you received a notice from the Treasury Department explaining which debt was paid. You could dispute the offset if you believed it was made in error, but the process required contacting the specific agency that held the debt (such as the IRS for back taxes or the Department of Education for student loans).

How the third stimulus differed from the first and second payments

The third stimulus payment followed the same automatic process as the first two, but the amount and timing were different. The first stimulus check, sent in April 2020, was $1,200 per person. The second, sent in December 2020 and January 2021, was $600 per person. The third, sent in March through May 2021, was $1,400 per person. All three included additional payments for dependent children, though the amount per child varied.

The third stimulus was also the last one issued under emergency pandemic relief legislation. No additional stimulus payments were authorized after 2021. If you missed receiving any of the three payments and did not claim them on your tax return, you could still claim the Recovery Rebate Credit on your 2021 tax return to receive the money, though this required filing a return even if you normally did not have to.

Frequently Asked Questions

Did I have to file a tax return to get the third stimulus check?

No. SSDI recipients received the third stimulus automatically based on their Social Security records. You did not need to file a tax return, contact SSA, or take any action. If you did not receive it and later filed a tax return, you could claim the Recovery Rebate Credit to recover the money.

What if I was on SSI instead of SSDI when the third stimulus was sent?

SSI recipients received the third stimulus on the same schedule as SSDI recipients. SSA processed both groups automatically. The amount and payment method were the same. If you received both SSDI and SSI, you received only one payment, not two.

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

If you were on SSDI in March 2021 but did not receive the payment, you can claim the Recovery Rebate Credit on your tax return for the year you file. You will need to file Form 1040 or 1040-SR and include Schedule 3 to claim the credit. The IRS will send you the money as a refund or credit against taxes owed.

What happens if my representative payee received my third stimulus check?

If you have a representative payee, SSA sent the third stimulus to the payee's address. The payee is legally required to use the money for your current maintenance, care, or other needs. If you believe the payee did not use the money properly, you can contact SSA to report a concern or request a change of payee.

Was the third stimulus check taxable income?

No. The third stimulus payment was not considered taxable income and did not reduce your SSDI benefits. It did not count as income for purposes of SSI, Medicaid, or other means-tested programs in most cases, though some states had different rules for SSI. Check with your state Medicaid office if you received SSI and were concerned about how the payment affected your coverage.