With groceries, rent, and gas taking bigger chunks of our budgets, the government is giving a one-time $720 stimulus check in August 2025 to help. The extra money is meant for working families and single people facing high living costs. The goal is to ease financial pressure and help people make it through the month with a little more cash in hand.
This $720 payment comes from a new law called the Emergency Household Assistance Act 2025, passed by Congress this year. The check is a single lump sum, not a monthly boost, so families can use it for whatever urgent need comes up. The money targets the folks hit hardest by recent price surges—from food and rent to bus tickets and gas—so the payment arrives just as bills are due.
Who Can Get the $720 Stimulus Payment?
To get the $720 payment, you’ll need to check a few boxes:
You filed a 2024 federal tax return
Your yearly income is less than $80,000 for a single person or $160,000 for a couple who files together
You are either a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident
You are not listed as a dependent on someone else’s return
Your Social Security Number is valid
If you get Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and stay within the income limits, you’ll still get the payment automatically.
When and How Will You Get Paid?
Payments will be sent in stages to make the process smooth, starting in August 2025:
If the IRS has your bank info, direct deposits will start on August 18, 2025
Paper checks will be mailed starting August 24, 2025
People on Social Security or SSI payments will usually see the funds on or around August 27, 2025, based on Social Security Administration records
If you got past economic impact payments direct-deposit, you’ll likely have the $720 in your account by mid-August.
Checking What You Can Get and Keeping Things Moving
To see if you can get the payment and to check if it has already been sent to you, either log onto the IRS website or look through your last couple letters from the IRS. Make sure your taxes were filed right and that you really put the right bank info or mailing address. You don’t have to reapply if you filed your 2024 taxes on time already.
The usual hiccups—an old bank account or an address that needs updating—can slow the payment down. A quick fix, like updating your IRS file or having your local post office forward the letters, usually takes care of it.
What the $720 Check Can Do for Us
The $720 check, while only one payment, really matters right now for families that are feeling the squeeze from higher prices every day. This amount won’t fix everything, but it does give the government one more chance to step in and support people until things get better. Cash from the payment can go to bills like rent, groceries, or the lights we turn on every day.
Keeping an eye on your bank info, and making sure your IRS records are correct, is the best way to get the help you need without waiting.
