SOME states are issuing a fourth stimulus check to help struggling Americans – check if you’re set to get more relief payments.
A handful of states are tapping their own funds to help low-income households or teachers, with the extra cash set to reach more than 25 million people.
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Many households have already spent the third stimulus checks – which the IRS started dishing out in March.
And millions of Americans will lose unemployment benefits from today.
The federal programs officially end on September 6, but the cash support will actually stop this weekend due to administrative state rules.
These rules ban states from paying partial weeks, meaning the last payable week of benefits will be the one ending September 4 or 5, depending on state.
It’s estimated around 7.5million Americans will lose aid entirely when the payments – worth $300 extra a week – come to an end.
Although some federal lawmakers have discussed the idea of a fourth check, it’s unlikely at the moment as the White House focuses on infrastructure proposals.
But a fourth stimulus check could still be on the cards as Americans are demanding extra cash in petitions.
In the meantime, some states have decided to hand out another round of cash to help struggling residents as the Covid pandemic rolls on.
Read our stimulus checks live blog for the latest updates on Covid-19 relief…
CALIFORNIA
In California, about 600,000 stimulus checks were sent out on Monday, and the California Franchise Tax Board said beneficiaries should expect to see the money in their accounts in the next few days.
About two million people are expected to receive the second round of payments, in both direct deposits and paper checks, around the middle of September, according to state authorities.
The program is worth an estimated total of $354million.
The amount of payments going out each cycle will vary every round, and no specific dates have been given for the next cycle.
To claim the cash, residents must file a 2020 state tax return by October 15, according to the California Franchise Tax Board.
The California-only round of stimulus checks are being sent to residents using federal Covid relief package funds and the state’s own budget surplus.
About 66 per cent of California’s population is expected to receive at least a $600 check.
California Governor Gavin Newsom said the stimulus effort will be the “largest state tax rebate in American history” – with $12 billion in funds handed out to residents.
TEXAS
Many teachers in Texas will receive bonuses at the start of the school year, according to CBS Dallas Fort-Worth.
The extra checks have been approved by individual school districts, including Irving and Denton.
Teachers in Irving will get a one-time payment of $2,000, while Denton employees will get a $500 retention bonus.
Other school districts in Texas have approved pay rises in a bid to reward teachers for their efforts during the pandemic.
MARYLAND
Maryland authorised stimulus checks earlier this year, but with a catch.
The extra cash is only available to those who claimed the Earned Income Tax Credit on their tax returns – a credit geared to low and moderate income earners.
For example, a married couple with two children only qualify if their income is below about $53,000, according to the state of Maryland.
Residents will receive $300, while couples who file jointly will receive $500.
But the deadline for filing a tax return to receive the stimulus check was July 15, so it may be too late for some residents to qualify.
FLORIDA
Earlier this year, Governor Ron DeSantis approved $1,000 bonuses for the state-s teachers and principals in its K-12 public schools and public charter schools.
It means checks will be dished out to more than 170,000 Florida residents.
The cash started landing in mailboxes earlier this month, the Florida Education Association said.
According to CBS Miami, the funding stems from $216million in federal stimulus money.
DeSantis said the checks are “a token of the appreciation” for teachers who worked during the Covid pandemic.
Although many teachers might appreciate the cash, the Florida Education Association has slammed the bonuses, saying the program “ignores local control and bypasses locally elected school boards”.
“School districts have the ability to get these relief checks to teachers quickly,” it said. “Delaying the receipt of the checks in order for Gov. DeSantis to put his name on the check is an act of political desperation.”
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