Social Security Stimulus Check Update

Last updated on 3/18/21

If you get federal benefits such as Social Security, Supplemental Security Income(SSI), or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and have not yet received your stimulus check, we can help you. In this post, we will walk you through the process of how to register with the IRS and have your Social Security Stimulus check either mailed to you or deposited into your Direct Express account or your bank account.

Also, we will explain the stimulus check deadline announced by the IRS and why you should file your claim now.

Finally, we will answer the most frequently asked questions about Social Security stimulus checks.

Alert: If you have questions about the Second or Third Stimulus checks, see below for an update. 

In this article:

• • Am I Eligbibe for Stimulus Check?
  • Social Security Stimulus Check Update
  • I did not receive my Stimulus Check. What Should I do?
  • What is the Deadline to request a Stimulus Check?
  • Update on the Second Stimulus Checks
  • Update on the third Stimulus Checks
  • Social Security Stimulus Check FAQs

Am I Eligible for Stimulus Check?

Generally, if you are a U.S. citizen or U.S. resident alien, you will receive an Economic Impact Payment of $1,200 ($2,400 for a joint return).

However, there are eligibility rules.

If you (and your spouse if filing a joint return) have a Social Security number valid for employment and your adjusted gross income (AGI) does not exceed:

• $150,000 if married and filing a joint return
• $112,500 if filing as head of household or
• $75,000 for eligible individuals using any other filing status

Then you are eligible for a stimulus check.

However, your payment will be reduced by 5% of the amount by which your AGI exceeds the applicable threshold above.

Also, you are not eligible for a payment if any of the following apply to you:

• You may be claimed as a dependent on another taxpayer’s return.
• If you do not have a Social Security number that is valid for employment.
• You are a nonresident alien.
• A deceased individual or an estate or trust.

Social Security Stimulus Check Update

If you currently receive your federal benefits through Direct Express, your stimulus check or Economic Impact Payment should be automatically deposited into your account.

Most eligible Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients do not need to take any action in order to receive their Economic Impact Payment.

However, cardholders with qualifying children need to take additional steps in order to receive the full amount of their Economic Impact Payment.

If you have a qualifying child, here’s what you need to do:

Visit the IRS Economic Impact Payments Information Center website for more information.

Click here to be taken there.

I did not receive my Stimulus Check. What Should I do?

If you have not received a stimulus check and don’t normally file a federal income tax return, you are not alone.

According to the IRS, nearly nine million people who don’t normally file federal income taxes still need to register in order to receive their economic stimulus checks.

Here’s what you need to do to get your check.

Step 1 – Register with the IRS

The first step to getting your check is to register as quickly as possible using the IRS Non-Filers tool.

The tool will not be available after Nov. 21 due to the IRS preparing for the 2020 federal income tax filing season.

Click here to use the tool to register for your check.

Step 2 – Enter your Information

Once you visit the IRS Non-Filers tool, click on the “Enter your information” link as shown in the image below.

Here’s the information you will need to provide to claim your payment:

• Full name, current mailing address, and an email address
• Date of birth and valid Social Security number
• Bank account number, type, and routing number, if you have one
• Identity Protection Personal Identification Number (IP PIN) you received from the IRS earlier this year if you have oneTaxpayers who previously have been issued an Identity Protection PIN but lost it, must use the Get an IP PIN tool to retrieve their numbers
• Driver’s license or state-issued ID, if you have one
• For each qualifying child during 2019: name, Social Security number or Adoption Taxpayer Identification Number and their relationship to you or your spouse.

Next, you will be taken to the page below. Click on the “Get Started Link” to continue.

Step 3 – Create an Account with the IRS

To complete the registration process, you first have to create an account with the IRS to register for your stimulus check.

You will be asked for the following to create an account, as shown in the image below.

• Email Address
• User ID
• Phone number
• Password

However, if you already have an account with the IRS, click the “Sign In” link as shown in the image below.

Step 4 – Complete Registration Process

Once you have created an account or signed in:

You will be directed to a screen where you will input your filing status (Single or Married filing jointly) and personal information.

Make sure you have a valid Social Security number for you (and your spouse if you were married at the end of 2019).

Furthermore, make sure you have a valid Social Security number or Adoption Taxpayer Identification Number for each dependent you want to claim for the Economic Impact Payment.

In addition, check the “box” if someone can claim you as a dependent or your spouse as a dependent.

Finally, enter your bank information.

If you do not provide or have a bank account, the IRS will send you a check in the mail instead.

What Happens After I Register with the IRS?

You will receive an email from Free File Fillable Forms, a trusted IRS partner.

The email will either show you have successfully submitted your information, or tell you there is a problem and how to correct it.

Free File Fillable forms will use the information to automatically complete a Form 1040 and transmit it to the IRS to compute and send you a payment.

What is the Deadline to request Stimulus Checks?

If you have not yet received your Economic Impact Payment, time is running out for you to act.

The IRS has extended the deadline to claim stimulus checks.

If you have not yet received your check, you now have until November 21 at 3 p.m to claim your check if you fall under one of the following categories:

• You did not file a 2019 federal tax return
• If you have not already received a stimulus check or Economic Impact Payment
• You have not already registered for an Economic Impact Payment

Then, use Non-Filers: Enter Payment Info Here by November 21 to register for your payment.

Social Security benefit recipients who already received a $1,200 payment now have until November 21 to register for a payment for their spouse or qualifying child.

Update on the Second Stimulus Checks

Congress passed another coronavirus pandemic stimulus relief bill on Dec. 21, 2020, which included another round of checks to individuals and families.

President Trump signed the bill into law on Dec. 27, 2020.

What is the Amount of the Second Round of Stimulus Checks?

The maximum amount an individual who is eligible can receive in the second round of stimulus checks is $600.

For couples who file taxes jointly, the amount is $1200.

Furthermore, each dependent child is eligible for $600.

Therefore, for a family of four, the total amount will be $2,400 – $1,200 for the adults and $1,200 for the eligible dependent.

In comparison, for the first round of stimulus checks in 2020, adults were eligible for $1,200 and dependents were eligible for $500.

Who is Eligible for the Stimulus Checks?

Here’s who is eligible for the second round of checks:

First, individuals who reported adjusted gross income (AGI) of $75,000 or less on their 2019 tax returns will receive the full $600.

For couples filing jointly, the threshold is $150,000 or less AGI.

However, if you are the head of a household, the income limit to get the $600 check is AGI of $112,500 or less.

Second, for people who earned more than those amounts, the size of the check will gradually decrease by $5 for every $100 earned over that threshold.

When will the Second Stimulus Checks Arrive?

On Dec. 29, the IRS finally sending the second round of stimulus checks.

If the IRS has direct deposit information on file for you, your payment will be received as an ACH transfer to that account.

Many Americans have already started to receive their stimulus payments.

In addition, Direct Express cardholders should be receiving their $600 stimulus payments starting in early January 2021.

However, if the IRS does not have your direct deposit information on file, your payment will be mailed as a check or debit card.

The debit card is called the Economic Impact Payment Card.

It is issued by MetaBank, N.A., and the Treasury Department seal will be prominently displayed on the envelope.

Finally, if you did not receive a second stimulus check, see our post on the 5 reasons why.

For detailed eligibility requirements for the second stimulus, click here.

Click here for the second stimulus FAQs.

Update on the third Stimulus Checks

The House of Representatives passed their latest COVID-19 relief package on February 27th, 2021.

Next, The Senate passed its version of the Democrats’ coronavirus relief package after the House passed its package on February 27th.

The House of Representatives voted on the Senate version of the stimulus bill on March 9th.

President Biden signed the Bill into law on March 11th.

The IRS began sending out the third stimulus checks on March 12th, 2021.

When will my Stimulus Check Arrive?

The IRS started mailing the third stimulus checks starting on March 12, 2021.

Checks will be sent via:

• Direct Deposit (see details about Direct Deposit Dates below).
• Paper Check
• Stimulus Debit Card

Here’s the possible timeline for when you can expect your stimulus check.

Third Stimulus Check Eligibility and Income Limit

Here’s the income limit for the Third Round of stimulus checks signed into law by President Biden.

How much you are eligible for in the third round of stimulus depends on your income.

In general, the IRS will use the most recent tax return information it has on file to determine eligibility for the stimulus payments.

That means that if you are yet to file your 2020 return, your 2019 return will be used.

Here’s the income eligibility for stimulus round three based on Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) from your tax returns:

$1,400 for qualifying adults
2,800 for qualifying couples who file a joint tax return
$1,400 for each dependent child under the age of 17
$1,400 for each qualifying adult dependent

If you’re a single filer, your payment is reduced if your adjusted gross income (AGI) is above $75,000.

For married couples filing jointly, the phaseout begins at an AGI of $150,000. If you file as head of household, the reductions begin at $112,500.

Here is a summary of the income thresholds for the third stimulus payments.

The payments are based on either 2019 or 2020 income.

If you have filed your 2020 tax returns already, your 2020 income will be used to determine your eligibility for the $1,400 stimulus payment.

Who is NOT eligible?

If you fall under the income categories below, then you are not eligible for a stimulus payment.

• Individuals who earned more than $80,000
• Married couples who earned more than $160,000, and
• Heads of household who earned more than $120,000

Social Security Stimulus Check FAQs

Here are the most frequently asked questions about Social Security stimulus checks.

When will I receive my Stimulus Check?

Most eligible Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients received their payments to their Direct Express card in May.

However, if you did not receive your payment in May, follow the instructions above to register with the IRS and claim your payment.

Will I receive my stimulus check on my Direct Express card?

The IRS will pay Economic Impact Payments automatically to the existing Direct Express card accounts of most eligible people that receive:

• Social Security
• Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
• Veterans Benefits
• Railroad Retirement Board Benefits

In addition, Direct Express cardholders who filed a 2018 or 2019 tax return and did not get a stimulus payment need to take additional steps.

If you fall into that category, visit the IRS Economic Impact Payment page for information on how to get your payment.

Will the IRS Contact Me about my stimulus payment?

The answer is no. The IRS will not call, email, or text you about your Economic Impact Payment.

However, you will receive a letter about your Economic Impact Payment in the mail.

It will be sent to your last known address within 15 days after the payment is made.

In addition, the IRS will not contact you to request personal or bank account information.

As a result, be careful when responding to websites and social media attempts that request personal information.

There are a lot of scammers and thieves out there looking to steal Economic Impact Payments.

Social Security Stimulus Check Summary

We hope this post on the Social Security stimulus check was helpful.

If you have further questions about Direct Express Card, Social Security, or Disability benefits, please let us know in the comments section below.

Be sure to check out our other articles on Social Security and Direct Express, including Direct Express Stimulus Check and Top Questions and Answers on Direct Express.