A rumor circulating on social media has caused confusion among many Supplemental Security Income (SSI) beneficiaries, claiming that they will receive a one-time $600 boost to their payments in August 2025. Despite its widespread popularity online, this claim is not true and lacks any official backing from the Social Security Administration (SSA).
What We Know: No $600 Bonus
The Social Security Administration has made it clear that no mid-year increase or one-time bonus payment is planned for SSI recipients in August 2025. The only adjustment made to SSI benefits this year was the standard Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA), which went into effect in January 2025. This COLA increase was 2.5%, designed to help beneficiaries keep up with rising costs of living due to inflation.
COLA in January 2025: What It Means for You
The 2.5% COLA increase that took effect in January 2025 raised the maximum monthly SSI payment for an individual to $967 and for couples to $1,450. This adjustment added approximately $24 more per month for most individuals, which totals a few hundred dollars over the course of the year. However, this is not a one-time payment and certainly doesn’t add $600 to anyone’s monthly check.
For example, if someone receives $2,000 per month in Social Security retirement benefits, a 2.5% COLA would increase their monthly payment by about $50, which totals around $600 over the course of a year. However, this $600 is spread over 12 months, not delivered as a lump sum in August.
Why Did the $600 Rumor Spread?
The confusion seems to stem from a misunderstanding of how COLA works. Some viral posts mistakenly equate the annualized total of a COLA increase with a lump-sum bonus payment. For example, when the 2.5% increase is applied to monthly benefits, it adds a small amount each month. Over the course of a year, this can add up to a total of about $600 for individuals in higher benefit categories, but it’s not a one-time check.
Payment Schedule and No Mid-Year Adjustment
Additionally, the SSA’s payment schedule debunks the rumor. SSI benefits are issued on the first of the month, or the prior business day if the 1st falls on a weekend or holiday. In August 2025, beneficiaries will receive their regular monthly payment, which already includes the COLA increase applied in January. There are no additional payments scheduled for August, nor any special bonus payments.
How COLA Is Calculated
The 2.5% COLA increase is based on the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W), which is calculated from the third-quarter data from the previous year. This is the standard method the SSA uses to adjust Social Security and SSI benefits to reflect inflation. The increase applied in January 2025 will remain in effect until the next COLA is determined in October 2025 for 2026.
Key Takeaways:
No $600 lump-sum payment is scheduled for SSI beneficiaries in August 2025.
The 2.5% COLA increase took effect in January 2025, adding $24 per month for individuals and $50 per month for higher benefit recipients.
The $600 figure is often confused with the total COLA increase over a full year, not a one-time bonus.
SSI beneficiaries will receive their regular monthly payment, which already includes the COLA increase, on their scheduled date in August.
