The three stimulus payments SSDI recipients got in 2021

If you received SSDI in 2021, you got three separate stimulus payments from the federal government. The first arrived in March 2021 ($1,400 per person), the second in July 2021 ($1,400 per person), and the third in December 2021 ($1,400 per person). These payments went to SSDI beneficiaries automatically—you did not have to do anything to receive them.

The payments came from two different laws. The first two ($1,400 each) came from the American Rescue Plan Act, passed in March 2021. The third payment also came from the American Rescue Plan Act but was distributed later in the year. Social Security sent the money the same way it sends your regular benefit—either by direct deposit to your bank account or by mail as a check, depending on how you normally receive your SSDI payment.

Unlike some stimulus programs, SSDI recipients did not have to meet income limits or file a tax return to get these payments. If you were on the SSDI rolls when each payment was issued, the money came to you automatically.

Key Takeaways

  • SSDI recipients received three payments of $1,400 each in 2021—one in March, one in July, and one in December.
  • All three payments came automatically to your regular SSDI payment method (direct deposit or check) with no action required on your part.
  • You did not have to file taxes, prove your income, or meet any other condition to receive the 2021 stimulus payments.
  • If you did not receive a payment you believe you were owed, you could report it to Social Security, though most SSDI recipients received all three.

How the payments were sent to you

Social Security used your existing payment method to send each stimulus check. If you received your SSDI benefit by direct deposit, the stimulus money went to the same bank account. If you received a paper check each month, Social Security mailed you a separate stimulus check to the address on file.

The timing of arrival depended on your bank and the mail system. Direct deposit payments typically arrived within one to three business days of the issue date. Paper checks took longer—usually five to ten business days from the mailing date, sometimes longer depending on where you lived and mail delays in your area.

Social Security did not send you a notice before each payment arrived. The money straightforward showed up in your account or mailbox. If you were expecting a payment and did not see it after two weeks, that was the time to contact Social Security to report it as missing.

What happened if you moved or changed your payment method

If you changed your direct deposit information between stimulus payments, the new bank account received the money. Social Security updated your payment method as soon as you reported the change, so a stimulus payment issued after you switched banks went to the new account.

If you moved and did not update your address with Social Security, a paper check stimulus payment would have gone to your old address. Mail forwarding through the post office sometimes caught these checks, but not always. If a check went to an old address and you never received it, you could contact Social Security to report the missing payment and request a replacement check.

If you did not receive one of the three payments

Most SSDI recipients received all three stimulus payments without any problem. But if you were missing one or more, the first step was to check your bank account or look for a mailed check. Stimulus checks sometimes arrived weeks after the official issue date, especially if you received paper checks.

If you were certain you did not receive a payment after waiting two weeks, you could contact Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 to report it. Have your Social Security number ready and be prepared to tell them which payment you were missing (the March, July, or December payment). Social Security could look up whether the payment was issued and where it was sent.

If Social Security confirmed the payment was issued but you never got it, they could request a replacement check or, in some cases, deposit the money directly to your bank account if you provided account information.

Stimulus payments and your SSDI benefits

The 2021 stimulus payments did not affect your SSDI benefit amount. Social Security did not count the stimulus money as income that would reduce your monthly check. Your benefit stayed the same before and after you received each payment.

The stimulus money also did not count toward the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) resource limit if you received SSI instead of SSDI. However, SSI has stricter rules than SSDI, and keeping large amounts of cash in your bank account could affect your SSI may be able to access in future months. If you received SSI and wanted to know how to handle the stimulus money without losing benefits, contacting Social Security was the safest choice.

Why 2021 had three payments instead of one

Congress passed three separate stimulus laws in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The first law (the CARES Act) was passed in March 2020 and sent one payment. The second law (the Consolidated Appropriations Act) was passed in December 2020 and sent another payment. The third law (the American Rescue Plan Act) was passed in March 2021 and sent two payments—one when ready and one later in the year.

Each law was a separate decision by Congress to send money to Americans, including SSDI recipients. By 2021, the pattern was established: Social Security would automatically send stimulus money to anyone on the SSDI rolls when the payment was issued, with no process or paperwork required.

Frequently Asked Questions

Did I have to report the stimulus payments on my taxes?

No. The 2021 stimulus payments were not taxable income, and you did not report them on your federal tax return. If you filed taxes in 2022 for the 2021 tax year, you did not include the stimulus money as income.

What if I received SSDI for only part of 2021?

You received a stimulus payment for each month you were on the SSDI rolls when that payment was issued. If you started SSDI in May 2021, you would have received the July and December payments but not the March payment, since you were not yet a beneficiary in March.

Could the stimulus payments affect my future SSDI benefits?

No. The stimulus payments did not change your benefit amount, your work incentives, or your may be able to access for SSDI. They were one-time payments that did not affect how Social Security calculated your ongoing monthly benefit.

Did SSDI recipients get more money than other people?

No. Everyone who received a stimulus payment in 2021 got the same amount—$1,400 per person for each of the three payments. SSDI recipients were not treated differently from other beneficiaries or workers.