The rules for the third stimulus check are set, and payments are going out. Here's what that means to people who receive SSI and SSDI. 

The IRS is officially sending out the third stimulus check to qualifying families and individuals (calculate how much of the $1,400 your household could get.) So far, over 90 million checks have gone out with tens of millions more stimulus check payments on the way, but there's no word yet on when checks will start arriving for people in the Supplemental Security Income and Social Security Disability Insurance programs. 

There are some other important details for SSDI and SSI recipients to know, as well. For example, the checks are arriving during tax season, which could add a complication, especially if you added a new dependent in 2020. If you stopped or started receiving SSI or SSDI in 2019 or 2020, it could also mean an extra hurdle (the new Tax Day 2020 deadline is May 17).

We'll share how your payment might arrive, how changes to the qualifications might help you get a bigger check this time around -- especially if you claim dependents or are part of a mixed-citizenship family -- and how stimulus checks are now subject to garnishment. We'll also explain how to claim any money you're missing from the first two stimulus checks, even if you don't usually file taxes. (And here's what to know about a potential fourth stimulus check). This story was recently updated.

I receive SSI or SSDI benefits. When can I expect my third stimulus check?

The IRS said on March 12 that a payment date for those who receive Social Security and other federal benefits "will be announced shortly." The Social Security Q&A webpage for the third stimulus payment says it will expand its question and answer section soon. The IRS told CNET it's working directly with other federal agencies to obtain updated 2021 information for recipients.

Here's what we know about the general timeline: 

How can I find out if I qualify for a stimulus payment as part of SSDI and SSI programs?

In Biden's American Rescue Plan, people who receive SSI and SSDI will once again automatically qualify to receive a third stimulus check, for up to $1,400, as they did for the first and second round of payments approved in 2020. 

In the first two rounds, those individuals were eligible so long as they had a Social Security number and weren't claimed as a dependent on someone else's tax return -- and so long as their household income didn't exceed the threshold set ($75,000 single, $112,500 head of household, $150,000 married). 

The March 11 bill that authorized the third check expands stimulus payment eligibility to dependents of all ages, including young adults age 17 to 24 and older adult dependents. It also increases the amount set aside for those dependents to $1,400 each. Another change: This time around, the checks will be more "targeted" than they were in the first two rounds, meaning that single taxpayers who earn $75,000 or less per year will be eligible for the full amount, while those who earn more than $80,000 per year won't get any money. That means some families could get more money, while others will get less or none at all.

People receiving Railroad Retirement and Veterans Affairs benefits also automatically qualify for a payment, as they did in the first and second round of stimulus checks, the IRS said. 

The rules surrounding the third stimulus check can get confusing, fast.

How will the Treasury and IRS deliver my third stimulus payment?

The IRS said it is adjusting how it will make payments to those who receive some federal benefits as it processes the third stimulus payments.

Most SSI and SSDI recipients didn't receive their first payments via their Direct Express card, though this is usually what the government uses to distribute federal benefits. Instead, the payment arrived through a non-Direct Express bank account or as a paper check, if you didn't have your bank account information on file with the IRS. 

For the second round of payments approved in December, the IRS said that SSI and SSDI recipients should have gotten their stimulus check money the same way they received their first stimulus checks. People who received the first round of payments via Direct Express should have received the second payment the same way, according to the IRS.

However, with this third check, the IRS said Social Security and other federal beneficiaries will likely receive the new payment the same way as their usual benefits, noting it will announce a payment date for this group shortly.

If you're missing stimulus money for yourself or your dependents, you'll need to claim it on your tax return.

How could I get more money with dependents?

For the first stimulus check approved under the CARES Act in March 2020, qualified people with dependents age 16 or younger were eligible for up to $500 per child dependent, but not everyone actually received that extra money. For the second stimulus check, as long as your children were 16 years old or younger, they contributed $600 toward the final total of your household's second stimulus check. 

The third stimulus check changes the rules and makes dependents of all ages eligible for up to $1,400 each toward the household's total payment. That includes older adult relatives and college-age children. Here are all the ways you could get more money in a third check and what to know if you had a baby in 2020. Here are tax breaks for anyone caring for children and older adults.

And here's who the IRS counts as an adult to receive their own stimulus check.

I'm missing stimulus money from the first two checks and don't file taxes. What should I do?

According to the IRS, people who receive Social Security retirement, SSDI, SSI and Railroad Retirement benefits, as well as Veterans Affairs beneficiaries, were automatically eligible for the first two stimulus payments. If you receive these federal benefits as your only form of income, you weren't required to file a federal income tax return in 2018 or 2019. Under the CARES Act, you should have received a stimulus check automatically (no need to file a simple tax return, as the IRS had originally said.)

If that money didn't arrive, it's possible you might have had a payment garnished for child support or funds diverted to pay a specific kind of creditor, but the rules changed with a second check. However, an IRS error could also be one potential culprit or the IRS needed more information about your eligibility. 

It isn't too late to claim missing stimulus money, but you have to file a tax return to do so. 

To receive your money now, you'll need to claim the additional amount as part of tax season 2020, using the Recovery Rebate Credit. Even if you don't usually file taxes, you'll have to file to get those funds. The deadline for filing your 2020 taxes was extended to May 17, 2021.

In some cases -- if you received a letter from the IRS confirming that your payment was sent, but you never actually got the money, for instance -- you may need to contact the IRS to request a payment trace.

The IRS says you can create and then check an IRS account to see more information about your eligibility around the first two stimulus payments.

How do I claim missing stimulus money for my dependents?

If you used the IRS' Non-Filers tool from May 5 through Aug. 15, 2020, the IRS should have automatically issued a catch-up payment for your dependents in October 2020. If you received your original stimulus money by direct deposit, you should have gotten the catch-up payment the same way. Others would have received it in the mail. 

If you filed for your missing dependent money by Nov. 21, 2020, the payment should have arrived by the end of 2020 in the same way you received your first payment (likely direct deposit or by mail.) If you missed the deadline, your check should be included on your 2020 tax return in 2021, if you file for a Recovery Rebate Credit.

To see the status of your or your dependent's payment for the first or second payment, check your IRS account.

What do I need to know if I live outside the US?

If you're a Social Security beneficiary with a foreign address whose monthly benefit is deposited in a foreign bank account, white women slim down meetup you should receive your third stimulus payment as a check in the mail. (The IRS doesn't usually deposit money into foreign banks.) 

If you live abroad but receive your monthly benefits through a US bank, you should have received your first two payments by direct deposit to that account. If you still haven't gotten your money, it will have to be claimed as part of a tax return. Find out everything you need to know about stimulus checks, citizenship and living abroad here.

Here's everything else we know about third stimulus checks, including how to track your new payment.

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