How the Coronavirus Stimulus Bill Helps Disability Recipients

Congress just passed a stimulus bill that should put cash directly into the hands of most Americans. This is in direct response to the coronavirus outbreak putting millions of businesses and people out of work. Unlike other stimulus bills in the past, this one also includes payments to people on disability benefits. Learn how much money you might receive and when, plus other important details below.

Social Security Disability Recipients Included in $2 Trillion Stimulus Bill

The 880-page stimulus bill President Trump signed into law Friday authorizes a one-time payment to most Americans. Here’s a quick rundown of what people on SSD should know about getting a federal stimulus payment:

• Current disability beneficiaries: The government uses your Social Security benefit information to determine whether you qualify for a stimulus payment. They’ll pull information from your SSA-1099, Social Security Benefit Statement or Form RRB-1099, Social Security Equivalent Benefit Statement. This helps confirm your annual adjusted gross income (AGI) and direct-deposit banking information (or current mailing address).
• Applied for disability, but not yet approved for any Social Security benefits? You must file your 2019 income taxes to receive a stimulus payment; it’s impossible to get one unless you do. If you haven’t yet filed your tax return because of the July 15 extension, you need to do so now. You can file for free online directly through the IRS.gov website.
• If you receive your monthly SSDI payments via direct deposit, you’ll get your stimulus payment much faster. It’s still unclear when people can expect to receive these payments. However, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin says he expects people with direct deposit to receive theirs sometime in April. So, if the IRS or Social Security Administration already has your direct-deposit info on file, you’ll get paid quickest. Unfortunately, anyone without direct-deposit (or a bank account) could wait until July 2020 to receive a stimulus check by mail.

What About People Who Depend On Supplemental Security Income (SSI)?

Monthly SSI benefits traditionally go to the poorest Americans who are blind, disabled or aged 65 and older. If that’s what you get (minus your Medicare premium), you could really use some extra cash right now. We searched, but couldn’t find the SSI program mentioned anywhere in the coronavirus stimulus bill’s text. If you meet these requirements, though, you’ll likely receive a stimulus payment in addition to your monthly benefits:

• Current United States resident
• Have a valid Social Security number
• Receive an annual 1099 benefit statement from the Social Security Administration (SSA) at your current mailing address

How To Calculate Your One-Time Coronavirus Stimulus Payment

The most stimulus money any individual can receive is $1,200 (or $2,400 for married couples). Here’s how the government will calculate your exact payment amount:

• Individuals whose annual income is $75,000 or less will receive a one-time $1,200 payment. For every additional $100 in annual income over that amount, they deduct $5 from your payment. This means, for example, individuals getting $80,000/year in SSDI will receive a one-time $950 check. But if you receive $47,500/year in disability, you’ll get a one-time additional payment of $1,200. Any individuals whose annual income is $99,000 or more will not receive a payment.
• Married couples with less than $150,000 in combined annual income can receive a one-time payment of $2,400. The same rules apply for payments to couples as it does for individuals. If your combined household income’s $198,000 or more and you don’t have children, you cannot receive a stimulus payment.
• Every child younger than 16 years old in your household can also receive $500 in stimulus money. Grandparents, legal guardians and parents can get paid $500 per minor child.

Answers to Other Frequently Asked Questions About These Payments

Here are some answers to other questions we’ve gotten from readers about these payments:

1. You don’t owe any taxes on your stimulus payment.
2. If the government accidentally sends you more money than you qualify for, you don’t have to pay it back.
3. Congress may approve additional payments in the future to lessen the pandemic’s impact on American incomes.
4. These one-time payments don’t count towards your monthly income limit for receiving disability benefits.

In addition, veterans who meet all income and tax-filing requirements will also receive a one-time stimulus payment.

Ready to see if you may qualify? Click the button below to start your free disability benefits evaluation now:

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