No new federal Social Security stimulus checks are going out in 2026, and the deadlines to claim any missed payments from the three COVID-era rounds have already passed. The IRS finished distributing all Economic Impact Payments between 2020 and 2021, and Congress has not authorized any new round.1Internal Revenue Service. Economic Impact Payments If you’ve seen headlines suggesting otherwise, they almost always refer to the annual Social Security cost-of-living adjustment or a state-level tax rebate, neither of which is a stimulus payment.
Why No New Checks Are Coming
Every stimulus payment sent during the pandemic required its own act of Congress, and each of the three authorizing laws had a built-in end. The CARES Act of March 2020 created the first payment of up to $1,200 per adult under 26 U.S.C. § 6428.2Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 US Code 6428 – 2020 Recovery Rebates for Individuals The Consolidated Appropriations Act of December 2020 added a second payment of up to $600 under § 6428A.3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 USC 6428A – Additional 2020 Recovery Rebates for Individuals The American Rescue Plan Act of March 2021 provided the final round, up to $1,400 per adult, under § 6428B.4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 USC 6428B – 2021 Recovery Rebates to Individuals
The IRS has confirmed that all scheduled payments under those three laws have been issued.1Internal Revenue Service. Economic Impact Payments The Get My Payment tool the agency ran during distribution is no longer active. Unless Congress passes new legislation, no additional federal stimulus checks will go out to anyone, retirees included.
Social Security recipients had received their payments automatically. The Social Security Administration shared beneficiary records with the IRS so that retirees, Social Security Disability Insurance recipients, and Supplemental Security Income recipients did not need to file a tax return to be paid.5Internal Revenue Service. 2021 Recovery Rebate Credit Questions and Answers Payments were sent to the same bank account, Direct Express card, or mailing address already on file for monthly benefits.
The Deadlines to Claim Missed Payments Have Closed
If you never got one of your Economic Impact Payments, the mechanism to recover it was the Recovery Rebate Credit, claimed on a federal tax return for the relevant year. Both filing windows have now closed.
- The deadline to file a 2020 return and claim the 2020 Recovery Rebate Credit, which covered the first and second payments, was May 17, 2024.6Taxpayer Advocate Service. Last Chance to Claim the 2020 Recovery Rebate Credit
- The deadline to file a 2021 return and claim the 2021 Recovery Rebate Credit for the third payment was April 15, 2025.7Internal Revenue Service. Coronavirus Tax Relief and Economic Impact Payments
After those dates, unclaimed funds reverted to the U.S. Treasury. There is no late-filing exception and no appeals process for these credits. The IRS did send automatic payments in 2024 and early 2025 to some non-filers it could identify through benefit records, but that process is also complete. If you missed the applicable deadline, the money is no longer available.
The 2026 COLA Is Not a Stimulus Check
Most of the “new Social Security payment” chatter each year traces back to the cost-of-living adjustment. The 2026 COLA is 2.8%, which raises the average retired worker’s benefit from $2,015 to $2,071 per month, and the average combined benefit for couples where both spouses receive Social Security from $3,120 to $3,208.8Social Security Administration. 2026 Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) Fact Sheet
That is a permanent inflation adjustment to your monthly benefit, not a one-time payment. It takes effect automatically each January, and it does not require any application or filing. The higher amount simply appears in your regular monthly deposit. Coverage that describes retirees “getting more money” is describing this, not a stimulus check.
State Rebates Are Separate From Social Security
Several states have issued their own inflation relief payments or tax rebates in recent years, funded from state budget surpluses. These programs have nothing to do with Social Security or the federal government. State legislatures authorize them, state revenue departments distribute them, and eligibility is generally tied to state tax filing and residency rather than to whether you receive Social Security. Typical amounts have ranged from about $150 to $1,000 depending on the state, income, and household size.
The Social Security Administration has no role in these payments and cannot answer questions about them. If you hear about a rebate in your state, check with your state’s revenue department or governor’s office rather than the SSA or IRS.
Watch for Stimulus Scams
Fake stimulus offers aimed at Social Security recipients have been common since 2020 and have not stopped now that the real payments have ended. The pattern is a call, text, or email claiming you’re owed a payment and asking you to “verify” your Social Security number or bank details. Some scammers spoof caller ID to appear as the SSA or IRS.
A few rules hold across every version of this scam. The IRS will not call you demanding immediate payment or threatening arrest. The SSA will not ask you to wire money, buy gift cards, or read your full Social Security number over the phone. No federal agency will contact you through social media about a payment you’re supposedly owed. Anyone telling you in 2026 that you can still receive a federal stimulus check is running a scam.
To report suspected fraud involving IRS programs, contact the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration at 1-800-366-4484.9U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. Submit a Complaint For Social Security-related scams, report them to the SSA’s Office of the Inspector General.