Some social media posts and websites have been sharing a completely wrong story about a supposed $1,378 stimulus check aimed at seniors that they say will arrive in August 2025. We looked into this carefully and verified it, and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has confirmed that the story is just not true.
IRS Clarifies the Situation
A spokesperson for the IRS gave a straightforward answer to NBC Chicago, making it clear that “there is no recovery rebate credit for taxpayers to claim” because Congress has not passed any law to authorize new stimulus payments. The IRS added any future economic stimulus payments would have to get the green light from Congress, and that has not happened yet.
What Seniors Will Actually See in August
While rumors about stimulus money keep popping up, actual Social Security payments are moving right on schedule. For August 2025, Social Security beneficiaries will get their regular monthly payouts on the same timetable that has been in place for years. Some seniors may get as much as $5,108 that month, but they need to have paid into Social Security for at least 35 years and have put off claiming benefits until they turn 70.
For August, folks can expect benefit payments spread across a few specific dates. If your birthday is between the 1st and 10th, your payment lands on August 13; if it’s between the 11th and 20th, August 20 is the date; and if your birthday comes between the 21st and 31st, look for it on August 27.
Separate from the federal level, a few states still run their own cash assistance plans. In New York, the STAR program cuts school taxes by 350to600 for qualifying homeowners; seniors can get 700to1,500. In Alaska, the yearly Permanent Fund Dividend is on track to pay roughly $1,702 to eligible residents, fed by oil profits.
Some people are still unsure. The confusion arises from the April cutoff for the last chance to collect 2021’s $1,400 Recovery Rebate Credit, tied to COVID. The April 15, 2025, cutoff for those applications closed the three-year filing period, and any missed payments have now been sent to the U.S. Treasury.
Scammers Most of the Time Stride Into Your Inbox or Phone. Stop Them!
Every expert on money says the same thing: the rumors flying around about stimulus payments create the perfect bait for con artists—especially the ones who want to trick people who are elderly. The best place to find out what you get is from the real guys—the people at IRS.gov or the Social Security Administration.
If a text or a call comes in from someone you didn’t ask to hear from, train yourself to ignore it. Real benefits, the ones the government owes you, will never ask for cash up front, and they will never ask you to spell out names, Social Security numbers, or bank passwords.
