The Social Security system is a government program that provides monthly benefit payments to retired United States citizens and other people who cannot work because they have a disability. Some citizens, such as Patricia and Melinda, reached out to ask if the claims they have been shared in online articles about Social Security beneficiaries counting on a $600 increase in their monthly payments are true.
Social Security beneficiaries do not receive a $600 increase in their monthly payments, the false claims come from articles published on some untrustworthy websites, the Social Security Administration (SSA) indicates on its website that “reports of a $600 payment increase in June are fictitious,” Congress would also have to pass a bill to increase Social Security benefits, which has not happened.
The SSA indicated that it would notify people directly of any updates or increases to their monthly Social Security payments and announce them on its website, it is unlikely that Social Security beneficiaries will have any increase in their benefits until the month of January 2025, when the annual cost of living adjustment (COLA) comes into effect.
The COLA Increases Monthly Benefit Payments if Inflation Increases Over a Given Period of Time
The SSA will not announce the 2025 COLA until October 2024, early estimates show the 2025 COLA will likely be around 3%.
This is not the first time online stories have falsely claimed that Social Security recipients are receiving extra money, always check previously debunked claims about Social Security recipients receiving federal stimulus checks in 2024.
These fictitious articles are typically created by content pages that release dubious information and often rely on articles produced by artificial intelligence with little or no human supervision, NewsGuard’s AI and foreign influence editor previously expressed.
False articles claim to inform readers about “exclusive” or “new” benefits which in reality is non-existent, with the aim of attracting the greatest number of people to their websites, which have numerous advertisements. “By attracting viewers and readers to their sites, they hope that people will, in turn, click on these ads and so they can obtain financial income,” says Sadeghi.
Fake News About Social Security Are All Over the Internet
“If it’s not clear where the article gets its information from, that’s also a red flag,” add Sadeghi.
To avoid falling for the information these fake articles provide, Sadeghi recommends scanning the article for information that doesn’t add up, as well as unnecessary repetition of key phrases.
For example, a website that presents false information regularly repeats the phrase “$600 Increase for Social Security 2024, SSI, SSDI” in bold, which possibly bring more attention to the site from people seeking information about the false claims.
That website also has numerous grammatical errors and has a series of external advertisements, as AARP warned in its article.
The Social Security Administration says people should consult their resources on scams and fraud to So understand how to spot common Social Security scams.