NEW stimulus checks are hitting bank accounts in three different US states.
The states are working to relieve some of the pressures of cost of living and inflation on Americans.
Americans have been struggling with an unpredictable economy so far this year.
From Donald Trump‘s tariff policy to a shortage of eggs, Americans can now receive financial help in a few key states to ease the pressure.
Those in New York will be receiving a one-time relief check worth up to $400.
More than eight million people are set to benefit from this payment, but the eligibility requirements are strict.
Only Americans who file joint tax returns and have an income of up to $150,000 will get the payment.
Joint filers who earn between $150,000 and $300,000 will earn a $300 payment.
Single Americans earning up to $75,000 will see a $200 check.
Single taxpayers who earn $75,000 but less than $150,000 will get $150.
Those receiving the third round of Georgia‘s special tax refunds have faced delays up until now.
The payments are known as the Georgia Surplus Tax Refund and will be sent to residents who applied for it before May 1.
Those eligible must have filed a tax return in the state in 2023 and 2024, among other things.
They also can’t owe the Department of Revenue any money, for example.
For those who filed as single or married individuals will get a maximum $250 payout.
And those who filed as a head of household they will get $375, while married individuals filing jointly can get $500.
Guaranteed Income and Universal Basic Income programs have taken off in popularity recently.
After the Biden administration’s American Rescue Plan of 2021 sent stimulus money to local governments, dozens began testing guaranteed income (GI) systems.
The specifics vary, but GI typically involves payouts to people with low incomes. Unlike traditional welfare, there are no job requirements, drug tests, or other strings attached.
Some have pushed for a Universal Basic Income (UBI), which would go to everyone regardless of how much money they make at work. Alaska has used a similar system since the 1970s.
Proponents say this alleviates poverty while incentivizing work, unlike classic welfare, which cuts benefits from people who begin earning “too much” money to qualify.
Opponents argue such a system is too expensive to function on a large scale and suggest Americans should avoid becoming reliant on government money.
With some cities heralding the success of GI programs, some Republican-led states have moved to ban them. States like Texas and Iowa, for example, have undermined major spending plans by pushing against GI.
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp (R) commented: “We know that this is your money, not the governments, and we know that you know best how to spend it.
“I’m proud to put this money back where it belongs and entrust hard-working Georgians with their own funds, especially as families deal with the high-cost environment that we have been in over the last several years.”
Alaska runs a statewide program called the Permanent Fund Dividend, or PFD.
The payment is designed to help manage profits from the state’s oil and natural resources.
The 2024 PFD amount of $1,702 is being sent out to each eligible Alaskan.
It includes $1,440 from the fund plus a one-time $262 energy relief bonus.
The payment will be distributed on August 21.
Roughly 60,000 state residents are paid out by the PFD annually, and one of the main eligibility requirements is that you’re a resident of Alaska for the full 2024 calendar year.
