Claim of $6,200 'subsidy program' for Americans 25 and older is baseless | Fact check

Gabrielle Settles, USA TODAY
·2 min read

The claim: Americans 25 and older can receive a subsidy for more than $6,200

An April 3 Facebook post (direct link, archive link) shows what looks like a screenshot of an email from a sender called “Subsidy Department.”

“You have been approved for the Subsidy Program which has been introduced to provide assistance to low-income Americans, with an allocation of $6,298," the email reads. "This program is open for application to American residents whose monthly earnings do not exceed $5,000, offering them a subsidy of $6,298.”

The Facebook user wrote in the caption, “Every American aged 25 and up is now eligible for more than $6,200 to be used for groceries and daily living costs,” urging users to click the link in the post.

The post was shared more than 100 times in a week.

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Our rating: False

There is no evidence the government is awarding a $6,200 subsidy to any demographic. The post leads to a website that has no connection to the claim.

Facebook post leads to article from RAND

The Facebook post includes a link titled “Get Your 6K Stimulus Right Away Here” for users to click. But it redirects people to a 2022 commentary published by the RAND Corporation, an independent think tank and research institute.

The opinion piece marked the 12th anniversary of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act being signed into law and said there was still a coverage gap for many low-income Americans at that time. But it makes no mention of a $6,200 subsidy.

There are no reports of a $6,200 stimulus program from any government agency or credible media outlet.

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USA TODAY has previously fact-checked other fabricated claims about subsidies and incentives, such as a claim linking the tragic Titan submersible accident to a health credit, a claim Americans under the age of 65 would receive thousands in health credits each month and a claim the government was giving $8,500 to homeowners through a solar incentive program.

USA TODAY reached out to the user who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Americans 25 and older are not getting $6,200 subsidy | Fact check