California sends out 1.1 million more stimulus checks
California sends out 1.1 million more stimulus checks
California has issued over 1 million new stimulus checks since late last week, the bulk of which are expected to go out by mail starting Monday.
The latest batch of Golden State Stimulus II payments includes 1.15 million payments with a total valuation of $857 million, according to the California Franchise Tax Board.
Of the newest disbursement, 750,000 paper checks are scheduled to be mailed out as early as Monday, while 400,000 payments were directly deposited into bank accounts last Friday.
However, it can take several days for a payment to be received by direct deposit and up to three weeks to get a check by mail once it is sent, a Tax Board spokesperson said.
For those who qualify for a GSS II payment and typically receive their state income tax refund through mail, checks are being distributed based on the last three digits of a recipient’s ZIP code.
Based on the scheduled released by the tax board, the state has either sent or is in the process of mailing checks to ZIP codes with the last three digits of 000 to 375.
So far, the state has distributed more than 4.4 million GSS II payments with a total value of over $4 billion, according to the Tax Board.
The stimulus checks are being sent out on a rolling basis through the beginning of next year, with an estimated 9 million Californians expected to receive one.
The state began sending out GSS II checks in late August. Eligible residents will receive a check of $600, plus an extra $500 for a qualifying dependent, bringing the total possible to $1,100.
To be eligible, you must be a California resident who submitted a 2020 state income tax return on or before Oct. 15, 2021, made $75,000 or less last year, have a Social Security Number (SSN) or an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN), and can’t be claimed as a dependent by another taxpayer.
With no fourth stimulus check, these COVID programs still offer billions in aid
Federal policymakers, focused on negotiating President Joe Biden’s budget, show no signs of providing more broad stimulus payments.
But many Americans who lost income in the pandemic are still looking for help, battered by rising prices for much of what they buy. More people developed a dimmer view of the national economy over the last month, with 65% calling it “poor,” according to a new poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.
If you or someone you know still needs a hand to pay the bills and keep debt under control, check into the following aid programs that still have billions of dollars.
‘Family stimulus checks’ from the child tax credit
Through December, most households with children age 17 and younger are receiving monthly cash payments through a temporary expansion of the child tax credit. Households can get a total of up to $1,500 for kids ages 6 to 17, and as much as $1,800 for each child under age 6.
Next year at tax time, the credit will provide duplicate second helpings of money that families can collect through tax refunds.
Some lawmakers and advocates for policies that fight child poverty favor a permanent expansion, but Democrats cut a deal to keep the supersized credit for one more year, a compromise to get the budget support they need with their thin congressional majority.
Large pool of untapped rent assistance
More than 75% of $46.6 billion is still available in pandemic funds to help struggling renters, according to the latest U.S. Treasury data.
Despite red tape that has slowed states and local housing programs from giving out the cash, some places are getting their acts together.
For instance, significant improvements were made in September: Los Angeles gave out $72 million and Illinois distributed $177 million. Illinois tenants and landlords who qualify can request one-time grants of up to $25,000.
Money for distressed homeowners too
If you’ve had trouble keeping up with your house payments and utility bills, you can still seek financial relief through a $10 billion mortgage assistance program that was part of a massive federal stimulus package.
You can receive money if you have a loan balance that, in most parts of the U.S., doesn’t top $548,250.
Aid for food workers
The government is recognizing workers who helped put food on tables during the pandemic.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently announced a program to help repay grocery, farm and meat-packing workers for their out-of-pocket expenses on protective equipment, child care, lost wages and other costs.
Eligible people can receive up to $600 in grants, which local agencies and nonprofits are distributing.
A price break on your internet connection
Another government program offers discounts on computers and internet access needed for jobs, critical health care services and virtual schooling.
Families who meet income requirements can get monthly discounts of up to $50 on broadband service and a one-time discount of up to $100 to buy a laptop, desktop computer or tablet from participating providers, under the Federal Communications Commission program.
1 million new stimulus checks were just sent, and here’s who got them
Four rounds of payments went out to most Americans, the most recent of which was a $1,400 payment from the American Rescue Plan that President joe Biden signed into law in March. Right now, Congress continues to debate Biden’s massive infrastructure plan. While not directly a stimulus payment, the massive amount of spending will likely deliver a huge boost to the American economy.
A fourth stimulus check from the federal government is unlikely. But, there was one state which sent out one million new checks to people who meet certain criteria.
The state of California was in the process of sending out the “Golden State Stimulus II” payments. These payments were $600 to individuals but some could get an additional $500 by claiming a dependent. That adds up to $1,100.
“If you qualify, you will receive your payment by either direct deposit or check in the mail and, typically, you’ll receive this payment using the refund option you selected on your tax return,” the California Franchise Tax Board stated. “Most direct deposit stimulus payments will be issued between September 1, 2021 and October 31, 2021. Some payments may need extra time to process for accuracy and completeness.”
This most recent Golden State Stimulus II payment went to taxpayers who have California adjusted gross income of $1 to $75,000 for the 2020 tax year. The state reportedly allocated $3.2 billion for this round.
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Fourth Stimulus Check Update: Petition for Monthly $2K in Home Stretch to 3 Million Signatures
A petition for monthly stimulus checks of $2,000 is less than 60,000 signatures away from its goal of 3 million. Following a surge of support in the summer months, momentum for the petition has waned as new COVID-19 cases and deaths continue to decline across the U.S.
The Change.org petition, launched by Denver restaurant owner Stephanie Bonin last year, asks the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate for legislation that would provide a “$2,000 payment for adults and $1,000 payment for kids immediately and continuing regular checks for the duration of the crisis.”
The petition has drawn more than 2,940,800 as of Saturday, with about 44,000 new supporters in the past month. It will become one of Change.org’s most signed if it reaches its goal of 3 million signatures.
During the summer COVID-19 surge, the petition hit peaks of over 100,000 new supporters a week as families struggled to weather the economic fallout of the worsening pandemic.
But it never translated to pressure on members of Congress. The Biden administration has signaled in recent months that stimulus is no longer a priority, focusing instead on advancing an infrastructure bill and larger social spending plan that’s key to President Joe Biden’s domestic agenda.