Social media creates buzz over a $600 “bonus”
Social media sites have been buzzing with the news of a supposed $600 Social Security payment that’s going to be mailed out to Americans on Supplemental Security Income (SSI) in October. Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram statements asserting that seniors would get the “bonus” have gone viral, leaving many confused and hopeful.
Thus declared these messages, the Social Security Administration (SSA) — or even Donald Trump — had engineered a plan to boost monthly SSI payments by $600. One of these viral messages even claimed:
“No way! Trump gives seniors a $600 Social Security boost and cleans house at the Federal Reserve in a monumental power grab.”
As exciting as this would be for retirees and poverty-level recipients, not one word of it is true.
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What the Social Security Administration actually says
The SSA officially debunked the rumour. The agency confirmed that no extra $600 payment is being given to Social Security or SSI beneficiaries.
In a statement, the SSA warned Americans:
“Any information about a continuing $600 boost is false and should be ignored.”
The rumour has been going around rapidly on the internet, but the agency would like people to be aware that there are no authorised bonus payments made in association with any government programme, current or past.
Be alert for scams targeting beneficiaries
While the rumour itself is not true, the danger it presents is very real. Scammers often use bogus government payment notifications to trick victims into sharing personal or financial information.
Thieves can send emails or text messages to individuals and ask them to “verify their SSI eligibility” or “verify their payment information”. These are phishing attacks to obtain Social Security numbers, bank information, or login information.
The SSA reminds Americans that it will never call, email, or text you asking for sensitive information or payments. Delete the message if you receive a suspicious message and report it to oig.ssa.gov, the Social Security Office of the Inspector General.
What’s really happening in October
There is an actual change in the works for Social Security beneficiaries — but it’s not a $600 bonus. Each October, the SSA announces the Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) for the next year. The adjustment provides a boost to make benefits keep pace with inflation.
The 2026 COLA will be roughly 2.6%, just slightly higher than this year’s 2.5% increase. That could mean a few extra dollars per month for beneficiaries, but it’s hardly $600.
For instance, if a retiree is getting $1,800 monthly currently, a 2.6% COLA boost would increase his or her monthly benefit by approximately $47, not hundreds of dollars. Throughout a year, however, that boost could add up to over $600, which can be the point where the myth has come from.
Clearing Up the Misunderstanding
Understandably, individuals would confuse the COLA increase with a once-and-done $600 payment. However, there is a distinction in that the COLA increase would be a percentage increase based on the cost-of-living index, rather than a fixed cash bonus.
There aren’t any new executive orders or legislation authorising additional Social Security payments in 2025. Any actual increase will need to be publicly announced by the SSA and communicated through official government channels.
So if you’ve seen stories of a $600 SSI or retirement “bonus”, you can safely scroll on by — it’s hogwash.
