The $400 increase is not automatic and does not apply to all beneficiaries

A $400 one-time payment was issued to Social Security beneficiaries in September 2022 as part of federal pandemic relief. This was not a permanent raise to monthly benefits. It was a single lump-sum payment that went to people already receiving Social Security retirement, disability (SSDI), or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) as of the payment date. If you received Social Security in September 2022, you should have gotten this payment automatically — no application was required.

If you did not receive the $400 in 2022 and believe you should have, the window to claim it has closed. The Social Security Administration stopped processing requests for this payment in late 2022. You cannot receive it now.

This article explains who received the payment, why some people did not, and what to do if you think you were missed.

Key Takeaways

  • The $400 payment went only to people receiving Social Security benefits in September 2022; it was not based on income or need.
  • You did not have to do anything to receive it — the Social Security Administration sent it automatically to may be able to access beneficiaries.
  • If you were not receiving benefits in September 2022, you could not receive the $400 payment, even if you started benefits later.
  • The payment is no longer available; Social Security stopped processing requests for it in 2022.
  • Your regular monthly Social Security payment was not affected by this one-time payment.

Who received the $400 payment

The $400 went to three groups of beneficiaries who were receiving payments in September 2022:

  • Social Security retirement beneficiaries — people age 62 or older receiving retirement benefits.
  • Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) beneficiaries — people under full retirement age receiving disability benefits.
  • Supplemental Security Income (SSI) beneficiaries — people receiving SSI due to age, blindness, or disability.

You did not have to meet an income limit or pass a means test. If you were on the rolls in September 2022, you got the payment. The Social Security Administration mailed checks or deposited funds directly to the bank account on file, depending on how you normally receive your benefits.

Surviving spouses and children receiving benefits on a worker's record also received the $400 if they were beneficiaries in September 2022.

Who did not receive the $400 payment

Several groups of people did not receive the payment, even if they were receiving some form of Social Security support:

  • People who started receiving benefits after September 2022.
  • People receiving only Supplemental Security Income (SSI) for blindness or disability but who had not yet been added to the rolls by September 2022.
  • People receiving benefits under a different person's Social Security record who were not yet on the beneficiary rolls in September 2022.
  • People in federal prison or certain other custody situations.

If you started receiving Social Security in October 2022 or later, you missed the window. There is no way to receive the $400 retroactively.

What to do if you think you were missed

If you were receiving Social Security in September 2022 but did not receive the $400 payment, you could have reported it to Social Security by calling 1-800-772-1213 or visiting a local Social Security office. However, the deadline to request a replacement payment passed in late 2022. Social Security is no longer processing new requests for this payment.

If you received the payment but it was lost, stolen, or never arrived, you would have needed to report it within the 2022 window. That window has closed.

If you have questions about whether you should have received the payment, you can still contact Social Security to ask, but they cannot issue the payment now. Call 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. your local time.

How the $400 affected your benefits going forward

The one-time $400 payment did not change your monthly Social Security benefit amount. Your regular check continued at the same rate before and after September 2022.

For SSI recipients, the $400 payment was treated as a one-time, non-recurring payment and did not count against the SSI resource limit (the $2,000 limit for individuals or $3,000 for couples). This meant receiving the $400 did not reduce your SSI benefits in the following months.

If you are receiving both SSI and Social Security, you received the $400 only once, not twice.

The difference between the $400 payment and regular benefit increases

The $400 was a one-time pandemic relief measure, not part of the regular Social Security system. Your monthly benefit does increase each year based on the Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA), which is calculated by the Social Security Administration and announced each October for the following year. COLA is a permanent feature of Social Security; the $400 payment was not.

COLA increases vary year to year. In 2023, COLA was 8.7 percent. In 2024, it was 3.2 percent. In 2025, it is 2.5 percent. These increases apply automatically to your monthly benefit if you are receiving Social Security. You do not have to do anything.

If you want to know what your benefit will be next year, you can create a my Social Security account at ssa.gov and view your benefit statement, which shows your current payment and estimates for future years.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I still get the $400 if I did not receive it in 2022?

No. The Social Security Administration stopped processing requests for the $400 payment in late 2022. If you were receiving benefits in September 2022 but did not get the payment, you cannot receive it now. The deadline to report a missing payment has passed.

If I was in prison in September 2022, can I get the $400 now that I am out?

No. The $400 was issued only to beneficiaries who were may be able to access and on the rolls in September 2022. If you were ineligible at that time due to incarceration, you cannot receive the payment retroactively, even if your circumstances have changed.

Does the $400 count as income for taxes or other benefits?

The $400 payment is not counted as taxable income for federal income tax purposes. For SSI recipients, it was not counted as a resource. However, if you receive other means-tested benefits (such as Medicaid or SNAP), check with those programs about how they treat one-time payments, as rules vary.

Will there be another one-time payment like the $400?

There is no announced plan for another $400 payment. The 2022 payment was a specific pandemic relief measure. Your regular monthly benefit increases through COLA each year, but one-time lump-sum payments are not part of the standard Social Security system.

How do I check if I received the $400 payment?

If you receive benefits by direct deposit, check your bank statement for September 2022. If you receive a paper check, look for a cancelled check or contact your bank. You can also call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 and ask whether the payment was issued to your account.