PRB-02 payments are supplemental Social Security benefits sent to people already receiving benefits in May 2021 or earlier, and the payment date depends on your birth date and payment group
The PRB-02 (Pandemic Relief Benefit) was a one-time payment issued by the Social Security Administration in 2021 to boost benefits during the pandemic. If you were on the Social Security rolls by May 1, 2021, you received an extra payment equal to your regular monthly benefit amount, with a minimum of $50 and a maximum of $250. The payment was not automatic for everyone — some recipients had to request it — and the date you received it was tied to your existing Social Security payment schedule.
Because this payment occurred in 2021 and was distributed over several months based on birth date, it is now in the past. However, if you did not receive it at the time and believe you were may have access to to it, you can still contact Social Security to inquire about whether a payment was issued to you or whether you missed the window to request it.
Key Takeaways
- PRB-02 was a one-time supplemental payment sent between June and September 2021 to people receiving Social Security, Supplemental Security Income, or Railroad Retirement benefits as of May 1, 2021.
- Payment dates were staggered by birth date: people born in January through March received payments in June, April through June in July, July through September in August, and October through December in September.
- The payment amount matched your regular monthly benefit, with a floor of $50 and a ceiling of $250.
- Some recipients had to request the payment through their Social Security account or by calling 1-800-772-1213; it was not sent to everyone automatically.
How PRB-02 payment dates were organized by birth month
Social Security staggered PRB-02 payments across four months to avoid overwhelming its payment systems. The schedule was based on your birth date, not your process date or when you first claimed benefits.
| Birth months | Payment month |
|---|---|
| January, February, March | June 2021 |
| April, May, June | July 2021 |
| July, August, September | August 2021 |
| October, November, December | September 2021 |
Within each month, the exact day you received the payment depended on your payment group — the day of the month Social Security normally sends you your regular benefit. If you normally receive benefits on the 3rd of the month, your PRB-02 arrived on the 3rd of your assigned payment month. If you receive benefits on the 4th Wednesday, your PRB-02 arrived on the 4th Wednesday of that month.
Who was sent PRB-02 and who had to request it
Not everyone on Social Security received PRB-02 automatically. The Social Security Administration sent the payment directly to most beneficiaries who were on the rolls by May 1, 2021, but some groups had to request it themselves.
People receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) had to request PRB-02 through their Social Security account or by phone. The same was true for some people receiving benefits as a representative payee — if someone else managed your benefits on your behalf, you or your payee had to contact Social Security to request the payment. Railroad Retirement beneficiaries also had to request it, but through the Railroad Retirement Board rather than Social Security.
If you were unsure whether you received it, you could check your Social Security account online at ssa.gov, look at your benefit statement, or call 1-800-772-1213 to ask whether a PRB-02 payment was issued to you.
The payment amount and how it was calculated
PRB-02 was equal to your regular monthly Social Security benefit amount, but with limits. The minimum payment was $50 and the maximum was $250. This meant that if your monthly benefit was $120, you received $120 as your PRB-02 payment. If your monthly benefit was $300, you received $250 (the cap). If your monthly benefit was $40, you received $50 (the floor).
The amount was based on your benefit as of May 1, 2021. If your benefit changed between May and your payment month — for example, because you turned 70 and received a delayed retirement credit — your PRB-02 was still calculated using the May amount, not the new one.
What to do if you think you missed the PRB-02 payment
Because PRB-02 was issued in 2021 and the window to request it has closed, you cannot receive it now. However, if you believe you were may have access to to it and did not receive it, you can contact Social Security to find out what happened.
Call 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) and ask whether a PRB-02 payment was issued to your account. Have your Social Security number ready. If a payment was sent but you never received it, Social Security can investigate whether it was lost in the mail or sent to an incorrect address. If you were may have access to but did not receive it and did not request it, Social Security can tell you whether the important date to request it has passed.
If you received PRB-02 but believe the amount was wrong, you can also contact Social Security to review the calculation. Errors were rare, but they did occur, particularly for people whose benefits changed between May and their payment month.
How PRB-02 affected your benefits and taxes
PRB-02 did not reduce your regular Social Security benefits in any month. It was a one-time addition, not an advance on future payments. Your regular benefit continued unchanged after you received it.
The payment was subject to federal income tax in the same way your regular Social Security benefits are. If you file taxes and your combined income (adjusted gross income plus nontaxable interest plus half your Social Security benefits) exceeded certain thresholds, part of your PRB-02 was taxable. The thresholds were $25,000 for single filers and $32,000 for married filing jointly. Social Security did not withhold taxes from the payment automatically, so if you owed tax on it, you had to account for it when you filed your return.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I still get PRB-02 if I missed the important date to request it?
No. The important date to request PRB-02 passed in 2021. If you were may have access to to it and did not request it, you cannot receive it now. However, you can contact Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 to confirm whether you received it automatically or whether you were in a group that required a request.
I received PRB-02 but the amount seems too low. Can I get more?
No. PRB-02 was a one-time payment and cannot be reissued or increased. If you believe the amount was calculated incorrectly, you can contact Social Security to review the calculation, but the payment itself is final and cannot be changed.
Does PRB-02 count as income for Medicaid or other programs?
It depends on the program. For most purposes, PRB-02 was treated as a one-time payment and did not count as ongoing income. However, some state Medicaid programs or other means-tested programs may have counted it differently. If you receive Medicaid or other benefits, contact your state agency to ask how they treated the PRB-02 payment.
What if I was in prison or a hospital when PRB-02 was issued?
If you were institutionalized, you may not have received PRB-02 automatically. Social Security has specific rules about payments to people in institutions. Contact Social Security to ask whether you were may have access to to the payment and whether it was issued to you.