On March 11, 2021, President Joe Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act into law. The $1.9 trillion stimulus package gives necessary financial support to Americans suffering as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Here’s all the information you need to know about receiving a stimulus check while receiving social security disability benefits.
How Much Money Will I Get?
The stimulus packages provide another round of economic impact payments. Eligible single people will receive a $1,400 Covid-19 stimulus check. If you are married and file a joint tax return, then both you and your spouse will get $1,400 (for a total of $2,800). If you have dependents, you get an additional $1,400 for them (as long as your dependent lives with you for more than half the year).
Am I Eligible?
If you’re only income is your social security disability benefit, you are eligible for the third stimulus check.
If you receive other income in addition to your disability benefit that makes your combined income over $75, 000, your stimulus payment will be reduced. If you are married and file a joint return, if your combined income as a couple is over $150,000, your stimulus payment will be reduced.
To determine your income, the IRS will look at the “adjudged gross income” from your 2020 tax return (line 11 of Form 1040). If you didn’t file a tax return in 2020, the IRS will use your income from your Social Security or SSI checks.
How Will I Get My Stimulus Check?
You will receive your stimulus check the same way you normally receive your monthly social security disability benefit. If you receive your benefit via direct deposit, you will also receive your stimulus check via direct deposit.
If you receive your benefit via Direct Express debit card, you should receive a new card in the mail. The stimulus payment will arrive in an envelope with the “Economic Impact Payment Card” in the return address. You’ll need to activate the card by calling the phone number that comes with the card and choosing a 4-digit PIN. You can use the card for purchases or use it to withdraw cash.
When Will I get the Stimulus Check?
If you filed a tax return in 2019 or 2020 and gave the bank information to the IRS so your refund could be direct-deposited, you should receive their third stimulus payment in mid to late March.
For those who did not file a tax return, the IRS announced that those who receive social security disability benefits via Direct Express can expect their third stimulus payment “within the next few weeks”.
How Can I Track My Stimulus Check?
You can check the status of your stimulus payment on the IRS’s online portal called Get My Payment. Click here for an update on your 2021 Economic Impact Payment. Once you provide your Social Security number, date of birth, and street address, the portal will display a message indicating whether the payment was sent, the payment method, and the date it was issued.
Will the Stimulus Check Affect My Eligibility for SSI?
The stimulus check does not count as income to you and you don’t need to report it as income to the Social Security Administration. The stimulus money doesn’t count as a resource (asset) unless you still have all or part of it 12 months after receiving it.
