GREENSBORO, N.C. — The headlines say, 'Folks getting social security will receive a $600 increase to their monthly payments in June'. That's a big payday! The best way to verify if that is true is to go straight to the source.
The Social Security Administration debunked these claims on its website, "Reports of a $600 payment increase in June are false." Any increase in monthly benefits for Social Security recipients has to be approved by Congress. That has not happened.
To avoid falling for the information in fake articles or posts, your best bet is to check the Social Security Administration website, where the agency announces changes to monthly benefits.
When you go to the official website now, you'll see a message at the top that tells you about the false reports and that no COLA (cost of living adjustment) increase will occur until January 2025.
So, yes, there is an increase in the cost of living coming in January, just like this past year, but I have to tell you, it was about $50, not $600.
Since 2 Wants To Know has your attention on this subject, let me give you two takeaways from this misinformation about Social Security benefits.
Don't share or repost an article or social media post with a big claim like this without doing a little research to find out if it's true. When you share something untrue, you open the door for scammers to make your friends easy targets.
Social Security is never going to call, email, or text you and say your number has been compromised or your benefits are changing. If you're worried about it, go to SSA.gov to find out if your account is okay.