When Will People on Social Security Disability Get Their Stimulus Check?

When Will People on Social Security Disability Get Their Stimulus Check?

The 2021 COVID-19 relief legislation, known as the “American Rescue Plan Act,” contained two provisions that may be of concern if you receive Social Security disability benefits. The law provided for another round of stimulus payments of $1,400 for individuals and $2,800 for couples. It also made changes to the Child Tax Credit by increasing the credit for each child under 6 years of age to $3,600 and $3,000 for each child between the ages of six and 17.

The legislation also authorizes refunds of the unused portion of the credit that exceeds the amount of taxes a person owes. Taxpayers will claim half of the credit when they file their 2021 federal income tax return, and the other half will be paid in monthly payments beginning in July of 2021 and ending this December.

Some people who receive disability benefits may be concerned about not receiving their stimulus check, or they may be wondering about the effect a stimulus check or Child Tax Credit payment may have on their Supplemental Security Income or Social Security Disability Insurance benefits. The following information about the American Rescue Plan Act may be of help, but when questions arise about your benefits, an SSD lawyer at MJ Ellis Disability Law has the knowledge and experience to provide solutions.

Stimulus Payments Under The American Rescue Plan

The most recent stimulus checks of $1,400 to individuals and $2,800 to couples represented the third round of payments authorized by the federal government since the start of the pandemic. To be eligible for the recent payment your adjusted gross income cannot exceed $75,000 as reported on your 2019 or 2020 federal income tax return. Maximum adjusted gross income for married couples who filed jointly was set at $150,000.

If you filed an income tax return in 2019 or 2020, the stimulus payment should have been made to you through direct deposit to your bank account or by check or debit card mailed to you. The payments began within a month of the legislation being signed into law in March. As the recipient of benefits through SSI or SSDI who may not have been required to file an income tax return, your stimulus payment from the IRS will be processed using information about the payment method that the Social Security Administration uses to process your monthly disability benefits.

The IRS has a website set up for people to check on the status of this third round of stimulus payments. If you have not as yet received the payment, go to the IRS website and follow the instructions.

What About Lost Stimulus Payments?

If you did not receive any of the three stimulus payments and believe it was lost, you may request that it be traced by the IRS. There are, however, waiting periods based on the payment method.

You must wait five days from the date of a direct deposit and four weeks for payments made by check. If a lost check went to an address that you no longer live at and the mail was forwarded by the post office, you must wait six weeks from the date the IRS mailed the check. The waiting period for checks mailed to a foreign address is nine weeks from the date of mailing.

Stimulus Payments And Social Security Disability

A stimulus payment does not affect your eligibility for SSDI or SSI. As a general rule, SSDI eligibility is not affected by the money you receive from sources other than employment or self-employment, so stimulus money will not cause you to lose benefits received through SSDI. If you have questions about your benefits, get in touch with an SSDI lawyer at MJ Ellis Disability Law.

If you receive SSI benefits, the Social Security Administration does not treat stimulus payments as income. It also will not count it as a resource for 12 months, so you are free to spend it as you wish. Talk to your SSI lawyer for more information about stimulus money and your benefits.

How Will Child Tax Credit Payments Affect Your SSI And SSDI Benefits?

The 2021 Child Tax Credit payments represent a refund of taxes. They are not, according to Social Security, income that would affect your Social Security disability benefits through either SSI or SSDI. If you receive benefits through SSI, you have 12 months to spend the credit payments before what remains will be counted as a resource.

Speak With A Disability Lawyer When Questions Arise About Benefits

When you need help with an application for benefits or to fight an adverse determination through the appeal process, you have an experienced and trusted Social Security disability lawyer at MJ Ellis Disability Law ready to be of assistance. Contact them today for answers to any questions you have about benefits, stimulus payments, and other matters related to Social Security disability.