Residents of 7 states will get a stimulus check from their respective states in the second quarter of 2023. It is certain by now that federal stimulus checks are a thing of the past and the support Americans received in 2020 and 2021 will not be repeated soon. While states stepped in with inflation relief measures in 2022, it has proved inadequate at best.
State support in 2023 has waned after 2022 and the payments in the first quarter of 2023 were just remnants of inflation relief measures that were declared in the latter half of last year.
But fortunately for a section of low and moderate-income earners in the US, government support has not dried up totally. Some states and local bodies continue to come up with measures to support Americans even as prices remain high.
Guaranteed Basic Income Stimulus Check Concept Gains Support
The concept of minimum guaranteed basic income has caught on in many states and local governments and governments are studying the impact it has on the economic and social situation. The guaranteed basic income is a direct cash stimulus check and this benefit comes in from the government. The plan provides people with money regardless of their employment status and supports their basic needs.
The movement has its roots in racial justice and was first touted by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Black Panther Party. The universal basic income differs from other support schemes as it provides a cash payment to all on an individual basis and does not factor in any employment requirement.
Pilot Programs Guaranteeing Stimulus Checks As Basic Income Gains Momentum
Such pilot programs have been around for years and have gained momentum after the pandemic. Cities, counties, and other local bodies have been experimenting with the idea of introducing it within their cities and states.
Back in August 2020, when the pandemic was at its peak and had led to nationwide shutdowns, the Pew Research Center reported that US adults opposed a federal guaranteed income of around $1,000 a month. But the opposition was mainly among older white people, the people less affected by the pandemic.
The majority of support was among Hispanics and Blacks, people mostly from low-income families and severely affected by the pandemic.
But among political parties and the youth, the support for guaranteed stimulus checks for low-income groups was universal with white youths supporting the move overwhelmingly.
Funding Of Guaranteed Basic Income
At present such guaranteed basic income stimulus checks through pilot programs are mostly funded through philanthropic donors and also through federal acts like the American Rescue Plan Act.
The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) was signed by President Biden in March 2021 within weekly after coming to power n January of that year.
While the Rescue Plan has mostly been linked to the Third stimulus check, the economic impact payment was just a part of the total federal support act.
The Rescue Plan provides support to small and medium businesses, educational institutions, and hospitals. One important component of the funds was the support that it gave to state, local, and tribal bodies. This helped it to initiate multiple support stimulus checks. This happened even after the direct federal stimulus checks dried up after December 2021.
The Nationa Bureau of Economic Research has concluded that a universal payment of $1,000 a month to all American residents above eighteen years would end up costing $3 trillion a year.
Other legislators have mulled launching a three-year pilot program to offer people stimulus checks that would cover the fair market rent for a two-bedroom home in their zip code.
But such a proposal swerves quickly stymied by the Republican camp. While the GOP has initiated legislative measures giving billions in tax relief to the rich and corporates, it has time and again stood against any form of minimum guaranteed income for the low and moderate-income groups.
Los Angeles Among Cities Giving Another Round Of Stimulus Checks
Residents of Los Angeles in the state of California may be eligible for a $1,000 stimulus check or tax refund starting June 2023. Several government institutions in the US are continuing to send stimulus checks and tax refunds to support residents who face acute financial difficulties. And California has always been at the forefront of such support measures.
Residents of Los Angles who are selected by the administration will be eligible for monthly payments of up to $1,000 for three years thanks to the Guaranteed Income Program. The eligibility requirements have been given. The applicant had to be a resident of Los Angeles County. They must be at least twenty-one years but under 24 as on September 1, 2023.
They should have been in foster care until they were eighteen. They must also have an income that is not more than 100% of the median income of the area they live for individuals. For a household of two or above the figure is 120%. The families and individuals must also show that they have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The application for the BREATHE program was done online and the people were chosen after thorough scrutiny.
Boulder in Colorado is also providing rebates to support low-income community members pay for their groceries. The refunds this year are $99 for individual filers and $302 for families.
And Individuals or families must complete an application and also conform to the financial eligibility guidelines. The income should be $43,900 or less for individual filers and up to $62,700 for families. They must also prove that they have been residents of Boulder for the whole of 2022 and have been 62 years or older for the whole 2022 year. The application started on the first of March and the application will continue to be received through June this year. There is also the property tax rebate, rent, and heating credit. For the PTC credit residents must have lived in Colorado for the whole of 2022 and have an income below $16,925 for individuals and 22,858 for joint filers.
