Who Got the Second Stimulus Payment
The second stimulus check, issued in December 2020 and January 2021, went to most people who received SSDI (Social Security Disability Insurance). The payment was $600 per adult and $600 per dependent child under 17. If you were on SSDI's rolls in 2020, you almost certainly received it automatically — you did not have to do anything.
The IRS used Social Security's records to identify who should get the payment. Because SSDI recipients already had their income and tax information on file with the government, the IRS did not need a tax return or a separate claim form. The money went to the same bank account or address where you normally received your SSDI payment.
A small number of SSDI recipients did not receive the second stimulus check. This happened when someone had recently started SSDI after the IRS pulled its records, or when there was a mismatch between Social Security's records and the IRS database. If you were on SSDI in 2020 but did not receive the payment, you could claim it on your 2020 tax return.
Key Takeaways
- Most SSDI recipients received the $600 second stimulus check automatically in late 2020 or early 2021 without having to take any action.
- The payment went to the same account or address where you received your regular SSDI deposit.
- If you were on SSDI in 2020 but did not receive the check, you could claim the $600 as a credit on your 2020 tax return.
- The second stimulus was separate from the first stimulus check ($1,200 per adult) issued in spring 2020 and the third stimulus check ($1,400 per adult) issued in 2021.
How the Payment Was Sent
The second stimulus check arrived in one of three ways, depending on how you normally received your SSDI payment. If you had direct deposit set up with Social Security, the $600 went directly into your bank account. This was the fastest method — most direct deposit payments arrived in mid-December 2020.
If you received SSDI by paper check, the IRS mailed you a physical check. These took longer to arrive, typically arriving between late December 2020 and early January 2021. Some people received their payment on a debit card issued by the Treasury Department instead, which worked like a prepaid card.
You could track the status of your payment through the IRS's "Get My Payment" tool, which was available on the IRS website. The tool showed whether the payment had been sent, when it was sent, and to which address or account. If you had moved or changed your banking information after the IRS pulled its records, the payment might have gone to an old address.
If You Did Not Receive the Second Stimulus Check
If you were on SSDI in 2020 but the second stimulus check never arrived, the first step was to check the IRS's "Get My Payment" tool to see whether the payment had been sent and where. If the tool showed the payment was sent to an old address, you could contact the IRS to request a replacement check or have the payment reissued to a new address.
If the tool showed no payment was sent at all, you could claim the $600 credit on your 2020 tax return. You would file Form 1040 (the main income tax form) and claim the Recovery Rebate Credit. Even if you normally do not file taxes because your income is too low, you could file just to claim this credit and receive a refund.
The important date to claim the second stimulus on your 2020 tax return was April 15, 2021. If you missed that important date, you could still file an amended return using Form 1040-X, though the IRS could take longer to process it. Many SSDI recipients who did not file taxes on their own worked with a tax preparer or a free tax clinic to claim the credit.
Dependents and the Second Stimulus
If you claimed dependent children under 17 on your taxes, each child may have access to for an additional $600 payment. The IRS used your most recent tax return to determine who your dependents were. If you had a new child or a change in dependents between your last tax return and 2020, the IRS might not have known about it.
If you had a dependent who did not receive a payment, you could claim that $600 credit on your 2020 tax return as well. You would need to show that the person was your dependent and under 17 at the end of 2020. If the dependent had their own SSDI case, they would have received their own $600 payment separately.
The Second Stimulus and Your SSDI Benefits
The second stimulus check did not count as income for SSDI purposes. Social Security did not reduce your monthly SSDI payment because you received the stimulus money. The payment was treated as a one-time economic relief measure, not as earnings or unearned income that would trigger a benefit reduction.
However, if you were also receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) — a different program for people with low income and resources — the stimulus check could have affected your SSI payment. SSI has strict resource limits, and the stimulus money counted toward that limit for the month you received it. If the payment pushed your resources over the limit, your SSI could have been reduced or suspended that month. Many people on SSI were able to spend down the stimulus money quickly to stay under the resource limit.
Comparing the Three Stimulus Payments
| Payment | Amount Per Adult | Amount Per Child | When Sent | SSDI Recipients Included |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First stimulus | $1,200 | $500 | April–May 2020 | Yes, automatically |
| Second stimulus | $600 | $600 | December 2020–January 2021 | Yes, automatically |
| Third stimulus | $1,400 | $1,400 | March–April 2021 | Yes, automatically |
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get the second stimulus check now if I missed it in 2020?
No, the second stimulus was a one-time payment issued in late 2020 and early 2021. You cannot receive it again. However, if you were on SSDI in 2020 and never received the $600, you could have claimed it on your 2020 tax return. That important date has passed, but you can still file an amended return (Form 1040-X) to claim it, though processing may take several months.
Did the second stimulus check reduce my SSDI payment?
No. The second stimulus check did not count as income for SSDI and did not reduce your monthly benefit. If you are on SSI instead of SSDI, the payment counted toward your resource limit for that month but did not reduce your benefit as long as you stayed under the limit.
What if I received the second stimulus but I was not supposed to?
You do not have to return it. The stimulus payments were not loans. The IRS did not pursue people who received payments they were not technically may have access to to, and there was no mechanism to recover the money from SSDI or SSI recipients.
Did my dependent child get their own second stimulus check?
If your child was under 17 at the end of 2020 and you claimed them as a dependent on your taxes, you received $600 for them as part of your household payment. Your child did not receive a separate check. If your child had their own SSDI case, they received their own $600 payment as an individual.