Who Got the 2020 Stimulus Check and How Much It Was

If you received SSDI (Social Security Disability Insurance) in 2020, you were sent a one-time payment of $1,200 per adult and $500 per child under 17. This was the first of three stimulus rounds Congress authorized that year in response to the pandemic. The payment came automatically — you did not have to request it or file anything extra with the IRS.

The IRS used your most recent tax return or Social Security records to locate you and send the money. If you received SSI (Supplemental Security Income) instead of SSDI, you also received the same amount. The two programs were treated the same way for stimulus purposes, even though they work differently otherwise.

A second stimulus check of $600 per adult and $600 per child arrived in December 2020 and early 2021. A third payment of $1,400 per person went out starting in March 2021. All three followed the same rule: SSDI and SSI recipients got the money without having to do anything.

Key Takeaways

  • SSDI recipients automatically received three stimulus payments in 2020 and 2021 ($1,200, then $600, then $1,400 per adult) without filing paperwork or requesting the money.
  • The IRS located SSDI recipients using Social Security Administration records, so you did not need to file a tax return to receive the payments.
  • If you did not receive a payment you believe you were owed, you could claim it on your 2020 or 2021 tax return as the Recovery Rebate Credit.
  • Stimulus payments did not count as income for SSDI purposes and did not reduce your monthly benefit amount.
  • Some recipients received payments by direct deposit, others by paper check or debit card, depending on what banking information the IRS had on file.

How the IRS Found SSDI Recipients

The IRS did not require SSDI recipients to register or prove their identity for the stimulus payments. Instead, the agency worked directly with the Social Security Administration to cross-reference records. If you were on the SSDI rolls in 2020, your name and address were already in the system the IRS used to send payments.

This meant the IRS could locate you even if you had not filed a tax return in years. Many SSDI recipients do not file taxes because their income is below the filing threshold, so the IRS had to use an alternative method — and Social Security records were that method.

The payment method depended on what information the IRS had. If you had direct deposit set up with Social Security (for your monthly SSDI payment), the stimulus went to that same account. If not, you received a paper check mailed to your address on file, or in some cases a debit card.

What Happened If You Moved or Changed Your Address

If you had moved and did not update your address with Social Security before the stimulus was sent, the check or debit card went to your old address. The Postal Service would attempt to forward it, but forwarding orders expire after one year, so older moves could cause the mail to be returned to the IRS.

If your payment was returned as undeliverable, the IRS held the money. You could then claim it later by filing a tax return and requesting the Recovery Rebate Credit. This credit allowed you to claim any stimulus payment you did not receive on your 2020 or 2021 tax return, depending on which payment you missed.

To avoid this problem with future payments, you can update your address with Social Security by calling 1-800-772-1213 or visiting your local Social Security office. Keeping your address current ensures mail reaches you.

Stimulus Payments and Your SSDI Benefits

The stimulus payments did not reduce your monthly SSDI check. Social Security treated the stimulus as a one-time payment that did not count toward your regular income for benefit purposes. Your monthly SSDI amount stayed the same before, during, and after you received the stimulus money.

This was different from how Social Security normally treats other income. Usually, if you earn money from work or receive other income, it can affect your SSDI payment. But Congress specifically exempted stimulus payments from this rule, so they had no impact on your benefits.

The stimulus also did not affect your ability to work or your work incentives. If you were using a work incentive program like Impairment Related Work Expenses (IRWE) or Plan to Achieve Self-Support (PASS), the stimulus payment did not interfere with those programs either.

If You Did Not Receive a Stimulus Payment

Some SSDI recipients did not receive one or more of the three stimulus payments. This usually happened because the IRS did not have a current address, the payment was lost in the mail, or there was a mismatch in records between Social Security and the IRS.

If you believed you were owed a stimulus payment, you could claim it using the Recovery Rebate Credit. This credit was filed on your federal tax return for the year the payment should have been sent. For the first stimulus ($1,200), you claimed it on your 2020 tax return. For the second ($600), you claimed it on your 2020 return as well. For the third ($1,400), you claimed it on your 2021 return.

To claim the credit, you needed to file a tax return even if you normally did not. The IRS provided a form called the 1040-SR (for people 65 and older) or the regular 1040, with a line for the Recovery Rebate Credit. If you needed help filing, you could contact a local tax preparation service or call the IRS at 1-800-829-1040.

Tracking Your Stimulus Payment Status

During 2020 and 2021, the IRS operated a tool called "Get My Payment" on its website (irs.gov) where you could enter your information and see whether a payment had been sent, when it was sent, and how it was sent (direct deposit, check, or debit card). This tool was available for several months after each payment round.

The tool showed the payment date and method but not the exact status of mail in transit. If the tool said a check was mailed but you never received it, waiting two to three weeks was normal. If more than three weeks passed, the payment may have been lost or sent to an old address.

The Get My Payment tool is no longer active, but the IRS kept records of all stimulus payments sent. If you need to verify whether you received a payment, you can contact the IRS directly or file a tax return claiming the Recovery Rebate Credit for any payment you did not get.

Frequently Asked Questions

Did I have to report the stimulus payment to Social Security?

No. Social Security did not require you to report stimulus payments, and you did not have to do anything. The payment did not count as income for your SSDI benefits, so it had no effect on your monthly check or your benefit status.

What if I received a stimulus payment but I was not on SSDI in 2020?

If you received SSDI at any point during 2020, you were sent the first stimulus. If you started SSDI after the first payment was sent, you may not have received it, but you could claim it on your tax return. The second and third payments used 2019 tax returns or Social Security records, so timing varied.

Can I use the stimulus money without it affecting my work incentives?

Yes. The stimulus payment did not count as income under any SSDI work incentive program, including IRWE, PASS, or the Student Earned Income Exclusion. You could spend or save the money without it affecting your benefits or your ability to use work incentives.

What if I think someone used my stimulus payment fraudulently?

If you believe your stimulus payment was intercepted or used without your permission, contact the IRS at 1-800-829-1040 and report the issue. You can also file a police report and contact the Social Security Office of Inspector General if you suspect fraud involving your Social Security account.

Do I owe taxes on the stimulus money?

No. The stimulus payments were not taxable income, so you did not owe federal income tax on them. You did not have to report them on your tax return unless you were claiming a Recovery Rebate Credit for a payment you did not receive.