Do kids have to have the same father to receive the $1,400 stimulus check? No, that's not true: Nothing in the 628-page legislation, known as the American Rescue Plan, specifies that. Some users on social media apparently took the claim as real, but all signs suggest it is satire.
The claim appeared in a Facebook post (archived here) published by "Control Your Hoes" on March 11, 2021. It read:
Breaking news: ALL the kids have to have the same Father to receive the $1,400!
This is what the post looked like at the time of writing:
(Source: Facebook screenshot taken on Fri Mar 12 19:49:12 2021 UTC)
The post did not cite any sources to support its claim. Via Facebook Messenger, Lead Stories reached out to "Control Your Hoes" to confirm whether the post was meant as a joke. Its page is full of jokes, memes and content that's obviously meant to be funny -- not taken seriously. We will update this story, as needed, if we receive a response.
Intended as humor or not, the post is false. There's nothing in the 628-page stimulus bill that says a family's children must share the same father in order for parents to receive another $1,400 per dependent. You can read the legislation here. The relevant section can be found on page 342.
The plan, which was signed into law by President Joe Biden on March 11, 2021, will provide direct payments of $1,400 to most individuals making up to $75,000 a year. It includes an additional $1,400 per dependent.
