Even as there was a marked shift from the federal to the state government in 2022 when it came to stimulus checks, 2023 has been comparatively quiet. The few state payments have dried out after the first quarter. And most stimulus checks this year were spillover payments from 2022.
California was among the notable states to defer its stimulus check payments and wait till the festive season. This despite announcing the Middle-Class Tax Refund in June last year. The debit card payments sent by the Golden State were delayed, and the payments continued into the first quarter of 2023.
Pennsylvania is among the few states that have continued their stimulus check programs. Even last year Governor Wolf said that there was enough money in the state coffers to fund a $500 million program for over 250,000 residents of the state.
Republicans had denounced the move and pointed out the potential for inflation, saying that while they had advanced a significant inflation-combating economic agenda, Gov. Wolf with his tax rebates had put forward policies.
That will only serve to exacerbate the record-breaking inflation that has driven up prices across the spectrum. It has affected even the most basic of necessities and has destroyed real wage growth.
Rent And Property Tax Rebate Stimulus Check
Pennsylvanians aged at least sixty-five, the disabled aged 18 or more, and widows/widowers aged 50. The maximum income which is allowed is $35,000 a year for homeowners and $15,000 annually for renters. Half of Socia Security’s income is excluded.
Spouses and personal representatives of estates are also eligible to file tax rebate claims on behalf of claimants who lived at least a day in the claim year and hopefully adhere to all other eligibility criteria.
While the maximum standard rebate of the stimulus checks other supplemental tax rebates for homeowners who qualify can boost the rebate amount to $975 from $650.
The Pennsylvania rent rebate program or the People’s property tax is one of the five programs that is supported by Pennsylvania. Since the program was established in 1971, older adults or disabled ones have received around $7.6 billion through rent relief and property tax rates. The tax rebate program also had the backing of slot games.
There were different tax rebates for homeowners depending on their income.
In the lowest category, those with an Adjusted Gross Income of up to $8,000 received a maximum tax rebate of $650. Those with an income between $8,001 and $15,000 received a tax rebate of $500. An income of $15,001 to $18,000 fetched beneficiaries a tax rebate of $300 while those with an AGI of between $18,001 and $35,000 received a tax rebate of $250.
Additionally, the law allowed extra relief for seniors in many cases. Seniors who are residents of Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Scranton will not get the benefit from a local shift in tax to a lower level. This benefit is on top of the allowed reduction that has been offered by the property tax relief.
Tax rates in these areas remain quite high. To also ensure that seniors in such communities benefit significantly from property tax relief, all senior householders with an income up to $30,000 get a discount raise in their property tax rebate by an extra 50%.
Additionally, property tax rebates have also been raised by an additional 50% for seniors in the remaining parts of the state. But there is a catch that the household should have an income below $330000, they should also pay over 15% of their income in property taxes.
Social security continues to plow a lonely furrow as other stimulus checks fall by the wayside. The use of Socia Security has exploded even since its inception in 1936. It is assigned right at birth and gives the federal and state governments the identification of individuals from a single database and also tracks a person’s banking details.
The regular monthly stimulus check called Social Security came in 1936 and the administration issued more than 450 individual Social Security cards this has helped establish the legality of a citizen and also give him access to monthly benefits.
Initially, the sole purpose of the Social Security number was to identify workers in the US through a distinct number. It also enables employers to give out accurate reports of the earning of each employee of every legal person during the elections.
The thing to watch out for is to get an idea if there is a fourth stimulus check on the way.
While inflation sent prices on the surge in 2022 and left Americans struggling to pay their basics, this year it has eased admirably and prices are not on the same meteoric level by the second quarter of this year.
The Federal Reserve raised interest rates for the 8th time since March. It has also cautioned that an outgoing increase in the target range of the marshal game is appropriate. And if prices continue to climb, Americans are in for extra financial pressure, and the momentum may build up to push us towards more financial relief.
If unemployment shows a steady rise, Congress could potentially step in to arrest the momentum.
The Concept Of A Guaranteed Minimum Income
While the absence of a fourth stimulus check has been a big setback during the pandemic. In the induced economic downturn, the concept of a guaranteed minimum income is gaining currency. It is an umbrella definition for various models that are designed to deliver funds to a population at regular intervals.
The essential goal of guaranteed income schemes is to eliminate or reduce poverty. This also ensures a higher degree of equality in accessing resources and opportunities.
This system has the potential to replace government programs including welfare, pension plans, employment insurance, disability benefits, and tax credits. This eliminates the administrative constraints that are linked to the operation of multiple different systems.