Will Senior Citizens Receive a New $2,600 Stimulus Payment? Check Your Eligibility Here, How to Claim

Written Posted on

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a trend of spreading fake news about the stimulus payments for senior citizens in the United States.

Stimulus Payment

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a trend of spreading fake news about the stimulus payments for senior citizens in the United States. The trend has often been pushed forward by the fact lakhs of people under such categories are facing massive financial crunch. Their medical expenses are also believed to be one of the main reasons as they easily accept misinformation. Such a false narrative has again been driven by some so-called news websites and social media pages. This time, they claimed a fourth instalment of $2,600 is in the pipeline.

Claims

This affirmation implies that someone aged 65 and older, along with those who are disabled or blind, qualify for government-provided financial support. The amount of USD 2600 is inaccurately described as a response to rising living costs and the persistent consequences of the coronavirus.

Fake news

“Recent stimulus reports indicate possible payments of up to $2,600 for older Americans or claim that such payments have been confirmed by authorities and will be issued in July. Similar claims have appeared on dubious websites and social media”– CAUTION. This was just a report from a social media handle. These kinds of content have been circulated from time to time just to get more readers on websites.

However, this was not the first time that such fake news was disseminated. Earlier in 2023, social media posts claiming that older residents in 10 states would receive new stimulus checks on November 30 went viral, according to the Associated Press. Additionally, YouTube channels focused on finance, with thousands or even hundreds of thousands of subscribers, frequently post videos predicting imminent extra payments for Social Security recipients or low-income Americans.

Will you get a stimulus package of USD 2600?

No. You will not get any relief amount from the American government. These kinds of news are fake. Kindly contact the authorities in case you are receiving such dubious messages.

How to check whether the news is true or fake?
It’s crucial to scrutinise where this misinformation was instituted. Subsequently, examine the authorised responses to these assertions, and understand how to spot and prevent false reports to discourage the feed of misinformation.

Check official sources: Always verify any claims through trusted government websites like irs.gov.

Be cautious of dramatic claims: If you see surprising financial news, especially from social media without clear sources, be wary.

Use fact-checking sites: Visit reliable fact-checking websites to see if the information is accurate.

Understand misinformation: Knowing how false information spreads can help you avoid falling for false claims, especially about money like stimulus payments.

By mid-July, News Guard’s AI Tracking Center found nearly 1,000 news and information websites that are run with minimal or no human supervision. This number keeps increasing every week.

Missed stimulus payment? Here’s chance to claim

According to the official website of Recovery Rebate Credit page on the IRS website:

  • The IRS has already sent out all three rounds of Economic Impact Payments (stimulus checks). Most people who were eligible have received their payments and can’t get a Recovery Rebate Credit now.
  • If someone didn’t get their full stimulus payment or missed a payment, they might be able to claim a Recovery Rebate Credit when they file their 2020 or 2021 federal tax return.
  • The first and second rounds of payments were early payments of the 2020 Recovery Rebate Credit and were sent out in 2020 and early 2021.
  • The third round of payments, including extra amounts, were early payments of the 2021 Recovery Rebate Credit. These were sent from March 2021 to December 2021.
  • People should check the information below to see if they can claim a Recovery Rebate Credit for their 2020 or 2021 tax return.
Loading more posts...