SSDI, SSI and stimulus checks: All about the second payment, make-up claims and more

If you’re part of the Supplemental Security Income or Social Security Disability Insurance programs, otherwise known as SSI or SSDI, you’re most likely eligible to receive a second stimulus check. The IRS and Treasury have already begun sending the new stimulus payments for up to $600 per person through direct deposit, paper check and EIP card — here’s how to estimate your second stimulus check total and how to know which stimulus payment group you’re in.

Is there any chance of a raise to $2,000 apiece per check? The answer, as of Jan. 1, is no. The Senate, in its waning hours of the session — the new Congress is sworn in Sunday — did not vote on any new bill to replace the $600 stimulus check with a $2,000 sum. There’s still a chance that a third stimulus check will happen in early 2021, along with other provisions in a larger stimulus bill.

But until that discussion, here’s what you should know about how SSI and SSDI affect the second stimulus check.

SSI, SSDI and second stimulus check eligibility

The question of who will qualify for a second stimulus payment has mostly the same answers as the first round of payments back in March with the CARES Act. That means if you’re part of the SSI or SSDI program, you would qualify for a check just like you did in the first round, so long as you have a Social Security number and you are not claimed as a dependent on someone else’s tax return. Your household income must also not exceed the threshold (which is $75,000 single, $112,500 head of household and $150,000 married). 

Note that because of some fairy complex stimulus-check formula math, fewer people in general will receive a (smaller) stimulus check this time around. 

Read More: This time around, your stimulus check cannot legally be taken away.

Do you have to do anything to get your new stimulus payment?

According to the IRS, those who receive Social Security retirement, SSDI, Railroad Retirement benefits and Supplemental Security Income as well as Veterans Affairs beneficiaries are automatically eligible for a payment. The IRS has begun sending payments now and will continue through Jan. 15. After that point, you would need to register for a Recovery Rebate Credit as part of this year’s tax season. We’ve reached out to the IRS for further clarification.

If you missed the deadline to file a claim for the first stimulus check, it’s not too late

If you receive SSI or SSDI but still haven’t gotten a stimulus check from the first round, the IRS may still need more information about your eligibility. To have received your money this year, you’ll need to claim the additional amount with the Recovery Rebate Credit. The IRS said it will provide more details on the specific action to take as we get closer to the filing deadline in 2021.

What if you didn’t file a tax return the last few years?

If you receive federal benefits, including SSI and SSDI, as your only form of income, you weren’t required to file a federal income tax return in 2018 or 2019. Under the CARES Act, you were still eligible to receive a stimulus check, and should have received one automatically (no need to file a simple tax return, as the IRS had originally said).

How is stimulus money delivered to you?

Most SSI and SSDI recipients didn’t receive their first payments via their Direct Express card, though this is usually what the government uses to distribute federal benefits. Instead, the payment arrived through a non-Direct Express bank account or as a paper check if you didn’t have your bank account information on file with the IRS. 

This time around, the IRS says on its website that SSI and SSDI recipients should expect to get their stimulus check money the same way they receive their federal benefits, possibly faster, as the IRS already has the payment system set up.

Are children eligible for the second stimulus check?

As long as you’re children are 16 years old or under, they will contribute $600 toward your household’s final second stimulus check total. You can use our stimulus check calculator to figure your family’s total estimate.

Under the CARES Act, qualified people with dependents age 16 or younger were eligible for up to $500 per child dependent, but not everyone actually received that extra money. The last day to claim your missing payment and receive it this year was Nov. 21. The IRS said if you missed the deadline you can claim the missing payment during tax season in 2021. Here’s who the IRS counts as an adult to receive their own stimulus check.

What if you didn’t get your first stimulus payment?

If your first payment didn’t come already and you registered with the Non-Filers tool by Nov. 21, the IRS says you should have received the payment by now, specifically in December 2020. If you missed the Nov. 21 cutoff, the IRS said you can receive your payment in 2021 when you file your federal tax returns. Here’s what we know about how to track the status of your second stimulus check — and the first, if it’s missing.

Will you get the catch-up money for dependents?

If you used the IRS’ Non-Filers tool from May 5 through Aug. 15, the IRS should have automatically issued the catch-up payment for your dependents in October. If you received your original stimulus money by direct deposit, you should have gotten the catch-up payment the same way. Others would have received it in the mail. 

If you filed for your missing dependent money by Nov. 21, the payment should arrive by the end of 2020, in the same way that you received your first payment (likely direct deposit or by mail). If you missed the deadline, your check will be included on your 2020 tax return in 2021. 

To check the status of your or your dependent’s payment, use the IRS’ online tool to track it. You should also get a letter in the mail letting you know that an additional $500 per qualifying child has been issued. 

What about SSI and SSDI recipients outside of the US?

If you are a Social Security beneficiary with a foreign address whose monthly benefit is deposited into a foreign bank account, you’ll receive your stimulus payment as a check in the mail (the IRS isn’t meant to deposit money into foreign banks). The IRS planned to start sending those checks at the end of July. If you live abroad but receive your monthly benefits through a US bank, you should have received your payment by direct deposit to that account by the end of July as well. Find out everything you need to know about stimulus checks, citizenship and living abroad here.

For more information, find out if you’re qualified for a second stimulus check and when you could expect a second stimulus check. If you still haven’t gotten a first stimulus check, you can track the status of your stimulus check, learn how to report your missing check to the IRS and find possible reasons why your stimulus check still hasn’t arrived.