Stimulus checks are not regular payments — they happen only when Congress passes a law authorizing them

No stimulus check is scheduled to arrive this week or any week ahead. Stimulus payments are one-time transfers that Congress must vote to create, and they do not happen on a regular schedule. The last federal stimulus round ended in 2021. Social Security recipients do receive their regular monthly benefit on a set schedule — usually the second, third, or fourth Wednesday of each month depending on your birth date — but that is your normal benefit, not a stimulus payment.

If you hear that a stimulus check is coming, check the source carefully. Scammers regularly claim a new round of stimulus is about to arrive and ask people to verify personal information or pay a fee to "unlock" the payment. The Social Security Administration and the U.S. Treasury do not contact people this way.

Key Takeaways

  • Stimulus checks only exist when Congress passes a law creating them, which has not happened since 2021.
  • Your regular Social Security payment arrives on a fixed schedule based on your birth date, not on stimulus timing.
  • Scammers frequently claim a new stimulus round is coming and ask for personal details or money in return.
  • You can check your actual payment date by logging into your Social Security account or calling 1-800-772-1213.

How to find your actual Social Security payment date

Your monthly benefit arrives on the same day each month. The day depends on when you were born. If you were born on the 1st through the 10th of any month, you receive your payment on the second Wednesday. If you were born on the 11th through the 20th, you receive it on the third Wednesday. If you were born on the 21st through the 31st, you receive it on the fourth Wednesday.

To confirm your specific payment date, log into your account at ssa.gov using your username and password, or call the Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213 between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. Have your Social Security number ready. The representative can tell you the exact date your next payment will arrive and whether it has already been sent.

What happened in past stimulus rounds

Congress authorized three rounds of stimulus payments during the COVID-19 pandemic. The first round, in 2020, sent $1,200 to most adults. The second round, in December 2020, sent $600. The third round, in March 2021, sent $1,400. Social Security recipients were included in all three rounds, and payments went directly to the bank account on file with Social Security or arrived by mail as a check.

These were temporary, one-time payments tied to specific legislation. They did not become part of regular Social Security benefits and did not change the monthly amount anyone receives. Once each round ended, no further stimulus payments were authorized.

Red flags that a stimulus claim is a scam

Legitimate government payments never require you to pay money upfront or share personal information through email, text, or phone calls you did not initiate. If someone claiming to represent Social Security or the Treasury asks you to verify your Social Security number, bank account details, or date of birth in exchange for a stimulus check, that is a scam.

Real Social Security communications come through official mail from the Social Security Administration, your online account at ssa.gov, or a call you make to the official number 1-800-772-1213. The agency will never ask you to confirm sensitive information by email or text, and it will never tell you that you must act within hours or you will lose the payment.

If you receive a suspicious message claiming a stimulus is coming, do not click any links or call any number in the message. Instead, go directly to ssa.gov or call 1-800-772-1213 to report it.

What to do if you think you missed a past stimulus payment

If you believe you should have received a stimulus check in 2020, 2021, or early 2021 but did not, you may be able to claim it on your tax return. The IRS allows people to claim stimulus payments they did not receive as a credit called the Recovery Rebate Credit. You would file this on your federal tax return for the year the payment was supposed to arrive.

To claim a Recovery Rebate Credit, you need to file a tax return for that year, even if you normally do not file. You can work with a tax preparer, use free tax software, or contact a local tax clinic. The IRS website at irs.gov has information about the Recovery Rebate Credit and how to claim it. Social Security recipients are not automatically excluded from claiming this credit.

How to protect yourself from stimulus scams

Keep your Social Security number, Medicare number, and bank details private. Do not share them with anyone who contacts you first, even if they claim to represent a government agency. Scammers often spoof official phone numbers or create fake websites that look like ssa.gov or irs.gov.

If you are unsure whether a message is real, hang up or close the browser and call the official number yourself. For Social Security, that is 1-800-772-1213. For the IRS, that is 1-800-829-1040. These are the only numbers you should use to contact these agencies.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will there be another stimulus check in 2024 or 2025?

Congress would have to pass a new law to authorize another round of stimulus payments. No such law has been proposed or passed. If Congress does authorize stimulus in the future, Social Security recipients would likely be included, but there is no way to predict when or if that will happen.

Can I check if a stimulus payment was deposited to my account?

Yes. Log into your Social Security account at ssa.gov and check your payment history, or call 1-800-772-1213 and ask a representative to review your past payments. You can also check your bank account or look for a paper check if you receive payments by mail. Keep in mind that past stimulus rounds ended in 2021.

What if I received a stimulus check but it was the wrong amount?

Contact the IRS at 1-800-829-1040 or visit irs.gov to report an error in a stimulus payment amount. Have your Social Security number and the year the payment was supposed to arrive ready. The IRS can investigate and correct the amount if there was a mistake.

Do I have to pay taxes on a stimulus check?

No. Stimulus payments are not taxable income and do not count toward your Social Security earnings limit. You do not report them on your tax return unless you are claiming a Recovery Rebate Credit for a payment you did not receive.