SSI recipients did not receive a fourth stimulus check

The federal government issued three rounds of stimulus payments during the pandemic: in March 2020, December 2020, and March 2021. SSI recipients were included in all three rounds. There was no fourth stimulus check issued to any group of Americans, including SSI recipients, and no fourth payment is currently planned.

Some states did run their own relief programs after the federal payments ended, but these were separate from stimulus checks and varied widely by location. If you received payments from your state during 2021 or 2022, those came from state-specific programs, not a federal stimulus round.

Key Takeaways

  • Three federal stimulus checks were issued: March 2020 ($1,200), December 2020 ($600), and March 2021 ($1,400).
  • SSI recipients were included in all three rounds if they met the income and filing requirements for each payment.
  • No fourth federal stimulus check has been issued or announced by Congress.
  • Some states created their own relief payments after the federal program ended, but these were not stimulus checks and may be able to access varied by state.
  • If you believe you missed a payment you were owed, the IRS has a tool to check your stimulus payment history.

How the three stimulus payments worked for SSI recipients

SSI recipients were treated the same as other low-income Americans for all three stimulus rounds. You received a payment if your income fell below the threshold for that round and you had a valid Social Security number. The income limits were the same regardless of whether you received SSI, Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), or regular employment income.

The first payment in March 2020 was $1,200 per adult and $500 per child. The second in December 2020 was $600 per person. The third in March 2021 was $1,400 per person. If you were claimed as a dependent on someone else's tax return, you did not receive a separate payment — the person claiming you received an additional amount instead.

The IRS used your most recent tax return or, if you had not filed, information from Social Security or the Veterans Administration to determine your income. SSI recipients who did not file taxes were still included because the IRS had access to SSI payment records.

Why there was no fourth stimulus check

Congress did not pass legislation authorizing a fourth stimulus payment. The three payments were approved through emergency spending bills passed during the acute phase of the pandemic recession. By late 2021, when the third payment was issued, the economy had begun recovering and unemployment was falling, which reduced the political support for additional direct payments.

Some members of Congress proposed a fourth payment in 2021 and 2022, but these proposals did not advance to a vote. The debate shifted toward other forms of relief, such as extended unemployment benefits and child tax credits, rather than another round of stimulus checks.

State-level payments that may have looked like stimulus checks

Several states created their own relief programs after the federal stimulus ended. California, Colorado, Florida, and others sent payments to residents who met state-specific income and residency rules. These were funded by state budgets or federal block grants, not by a federal stimulus program, and the amounts and rules varied significantly.

If you received a payment from your state between 2021 and 2023, check your state's revenue or treasury website or contact your state's tax authority to understand what program it came from. These payments were sometimes called "rebates" or "relief payments" rather than stimulus checks, and they did not follow the same rules as the federal rounds.

How to check if you received all three federal stimulus payments

The IRS maintains a record of every stimulus payment issued. You can check your payment history using the IRS's "Get My Payment" tool on the IRS website, which shows the date and method (direct deposit, check, or debit card) for each of the three payments you were owed.

If the tool shows you did not receive a payment you believe you were owed, you can claim it on your tax return for the year the payment was issued. For example, if you did not receive the 2021 payment, you would claim it on your 2021 tax return as a Recovery Rebate Credit. You will need to file a return even if you normally do not have to file.

If you received a payment by mail and lost the check, or if a check was sent to an old address, contact the IRS directly. The IRS can issue a replacement check or direct deposit if you provide proof of your current address and banking information.

What to watch for if you see claims about a fourth check

Scammers have used the promise of a "fourth stimulus check" to trick people into sharing personal information or paying fees. The IRS does not charge fees to claim stimulus payments, does not contact people by phone or email to verify may be able to access, and does not require you to use a third-party service to receive money you are owed.

If you see an advertisement or receive a message claiming you can get a fourth stimulus check by paying a fee or entering your banking details into a website, it is a scam. The only official way to check your stimulus payment history is through the IRS website directly, and you should never enter your Social Security number or banking information into any website you did not navigate to yourself.

Frequently Asked Questions

Could Congress pass a fourth stimulus check in the future?

Congress could pass another round of stimulus payments at any time, but there is no current proposal or timeline for doing so. Any new payment would require a new law passed by both the House and Senate and signed by the President. You would not need to do anything to receive it — the IRS would use the same process as the first three rounds.

If I missed one of the three payments, can I still claim it now?

Yes. You can claim any missed stimulus payment on your tax return for the year it was issued, even if that year has passed. You will report it as a Recovery Rebate Credit. If you need help filing, contact a local tax preparation service or the IRS's free tax clinic locator.

Do I have to report stimulus payments as income on my SSI case?

No. The federal government excluded all three stimulus payments from SSI income calculations, so receiving them did not affect your SSI benefit amount. Your state SSI program should have the same rule, but contact your local SSI office if you want to confirm.

What if I was in prison or a hospital when a stimulus payment was issued?

Your may be able to access for stimulus payments was based on your income and filing status, not your location. If you were incarcerated or institutionalized, you were still owed a payment if you met the income threshold. Contact the IRS to claim any payment you did not receive.