SSDI recipients received the second stimulus payment between April and September 2020

The second Economic Impact Payment (the $1,200 check authorized by the CARES Act in March 2020) reached most SSDI recipients by mid-May 2020. The IRS and Treasury Department prioritized Social Security beneficiaries—including SSDI recipients—in the second round, processing their payments before the general public. If you received SSDI in 2019 or early 2020, you did not need to file a tax return or take any action to receive the payment.

The payment arrived in the same way you normally receive your SSDI benefit: direct deposit to your bank account, a check by mail, or a debit card (if you use the Direct Express card). The IRS used the payment method on file with Social Security, not the one on file with the IRS. This meant some people received the stimulus by a different route than they expected.

A small number of SSDI recipients did not receive the payment until late summer or early fall 2020. This delay usually happened when Social Security's records did not match IRS records, when a recipient had recently changed their payment method, or when the IRS needed to verify the person's identity before sending the money.

Key Takeaways

  • Most SSDI recipients received the second stimulus payment between April and May 2020 without taking any action.
  • The payment went to the bank account, mailing address, or debit card Social Security had on file, not the address the IRS had.
  • SSDI recipients who did not receive the payment by June 2020 could check the IRS "Get My Payment" tool or contact Social Security to trace it.
  • The payment was $1,200 per adult and $500 per child under 17, with no income limit for SSDI recipients.

Why SSDI recipients did not have to file taxes or explore

Social Security automatically reported SSDI recipients to the IRS as people who should receive the stimulus payment. Because SSDI is a federal benefit program with complete records of who receives it and how to reach them, the IRS did not require SSDI recipients to file a tax return, fill out a form, or take any other step to claim the money.

This automatic process was different from the first stimulus payment in April 2020, which required many people without tax filing obligations to submit information to the IRS using a special online tool. By the time the second payment was authorized, the IRS had refined the process and could identify SSDI recipients directly from Social Security's records.

The only SSDI recipients who had to take action were those who had not received the first payment and wanted to claim it on their 2020 tax return. That process was separate from the second payment and involved filing a tax return with the Recovery Rebate Credit.

Payment method and timing by delivery type

The IRS processed payments in batches over several weeks. Direct deposit recipients typically saw the money in their account within 3 to 5 business days of the IRS releasing that batch. Paper checks took longer—usually 2 to 3 weeks from the time the IRS mailed them, depending on postal service delays in your area.

Direct Express cardholders (the debit card Social Security offers to people who do not have a bank account) received their payments on the card within a few days of the IRS processing their batch. Some cardholders saw a temporary hold or pending status before the money became available to spend.

SSDI recipients who had changed their payment method between early 2020 and April 2020 sometimes experienced delays. If you switched from direct deposit to a check, for example, the IRS might have sent the payment to your old bank account first, then had to reissue it. Contacting Social Security to confirm your current payment method before the stimulus was released could have prevented this, but most people did not know the payment was coming.

What to do if you did not receive the second stimulus by mid-June 2020

The IRS created a tool called "Get My Payment" that let people check the status of their second stimulus payment starting in May 2020. SSDI recipients could enter their Social Security number and date of birth to see whether the IRS had processed their payment, when it was sent, and how it was sent (direct deposit, check, or debit card).

If the tool showed the payment was sent by check but you never received it, you could file a claim with the IRS for a replacement check. This process required waiting at least 4 weeks from the date the IRS said it mailed the check, then submitting Form 3911 (process for IRS Injured Spouse Allocation) or calling the IRS at 1-800-829-1040.

If the tool showed the payment was sent to a bank account you no longer used, you could contact that bank to ask whether the deposit was rejected or returned. Some banks automatically returned stimulus payments sent to closed accounts; others held them. If the money was returned to the IRS, you had to file a claim or wait until tax filing season to claim it on your return.

SSDI recipients who were not in the system in time

A small group of SSDI recipients did not receive the second stimulus automatically because they had recently started receiving benefits. The IRS used Social Security records from early 2020 to determine who should receive the payment. If you began receiving SSDI after March 2020 but before the second payment was processed in April, you were not included in the automatic batch.

These newer recipients could claim the second stimulus payment on their 2020 tax return by filing Form 1040 with the Recovery Rebate Credit. They had until the tax filing important date (April 15, 2021, or later if they requested an extension) to claim the money. This was the same process used for people who missed the first stimulus payment.

Some SSDI recipients who were in the system but had incomplete or outdated information on file with Social Security also missed the automatic payment. Updating your address, bank account, or other contact information with Social Security after the stimulus was already in process could not retrieve a payment that had already been sent to an old address or account.

How the second stimulus differed from the first

The first stimulus payment (April 2020) required many SSDI recipients to take action because the IRS did not automatically have their information. The IRS created a special online tool for non-filers—people who did not file taxes—to submit their information. Many SSDI recipients had to use this tool or call the IRS to claim their $1,200.

By the time the second stimulus was authorized in December 2020, the IRS had learned from the first round. Social Security and the IRS had coordinated their records more carefully, and the automatic process worked much more smoothly. Fewer SSDI recipients had to take action, and fewer payments were delayed or sent to the wrong place.

A third stimulus payment (the $1,400 check authorized in March 2021) used the same automatic process as the second payment. SSDI recipients again did not have to explore or file taxes to receive it, and most received it within a few weeks of the IRS processing their batch.

Frequently Asked Questions

Did SSDI recipients get the full $1,200, or was it reduced?

SSDI recipients received the full $1,200 per adult with no reduction. There was no income limit for the second stimulus payment—everyone who received SSDI got the same amount. If you had a child under 17 in your household, you received an additional $500 per child.

What if I received SSDI but also worked and filed taxes?

You still received the automatic payment from Social Security, not from the IRS. The payment went to your Social Security payment method, not your tax refund account. If you filed taxes and also received the stimulus, you did not have to report it as income or repay it.

Can I still claim the second stimulus if I never received it?

Yes, but only if you file a 2020 tax return. You can claim the Recovery Rebate Credit on Form 1040 to recover the $1,200 (or $1,700 if you had one child). You must file by the normal tax important date or request an extension. After that important date passes, you cannot claim it.

Did the stimulus payment affect my SSDI benefits or SSI?

No. The stimulus payment was not counted as income for SSDI purposes, so it did not reduce your monthly benefit. For SSI recipients, the payment was counted as a resource for one month, but SSI rules allowed you to set it aside without it affecting your benefit that month.

What if my bank rejected the direct deposit?

If your bank rejected the deposit because your account was closed or flagged as inactive, the IRS reissued the payment by check. This took an additional 2 to 4 weeks. You could check the status using the "Get My Payment" tool to see if a check was mailed after the rejected deposit.