(Photo : Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Stimulus Checks With President Trump's Name Sent Out To Americans
WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 29: U.S. President Donald Trump's name appears on the coronavirus economic assistance checks that were sent to citizens across the country April 29, 2020 in Washington, DC. The initial 88 million payments totaling nearly $158 billion were sent by the Treasury Department last week as most of the country remains under stay-at-home orders due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
The next chapter in the continuous saga of 2021 as the stimulus payment year is already in the works. This one, though, will be a break from the narrative that the federal government has been promoting for more than a year.
The quantity and frequency of people's next stimulus checks will be determined by their location. That's if they get one at all. States and even local governments are taking up the slack as the federal government's stimulus program efforts appear to be winding down.
To provide just one example, the state of California has started handing out $600 Golden State stimulus checks to qualified households. According to BGR, a city in the United States is also exploring one of the more extreme initiatives along similar lines we've seen so far.
You might be eligible for $500 stimulus check
It's a three-year stimulus check program that would provide certain families with $500 monthly payments. Ann Arbor, Michigan is the location. And it's been weighing a variety of alternatives for how to spend more than $24 million in federal stimulus funds from the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan legislation approved earlier this year.
A universal basic income scheme, in which 100 Ann Arbor families would receive money according to their financial need. For three years, the initiative would provide such families $500 each month. In addition, the city would collaborate with scholars to examine the program's impact on both beneficiaries and the city.
A similar initiative is being considered in Chicago. However, a comparable effort out of Stockton, California, appears to be Ann Arbor's apparent inspiration for this. Officials distributed $500 stimulus checks to 125 people of the region, the majority of whom were low-income.
According to a Los Angeles Times report on the endeavor, beneficiaries were found to be "healthier, showing less depression and anxiety, and increased well-being" as a result of the program.
These initiatives will be fascinating to follow for a variety of reasons. One of them is their foray into the world of profoundly held political convictions. One of them is the notion that giving individuals money may disincentivize them from working.
Even still, it's possible that the Ann Arbor program will not materialize. Other alternatives being considered by the city for how to spend its COVID-19 funding include spending $1 million on social service initiatives, according to one local news source.
$3.5 million may be spent on property acquisition to assist affordable housing, and $2 million could be invested on community policing. Money may also go toward solar panels on public buildings and a new bikeway in the downtown area.
The city will give the public an opportunity to weigh in on all of this. The final decision will be made by the city council in the area.
Read Also: A Complete List of States Sending Surprise Stimulus Check; You Might Receive It Before 2021 Ends
Child tax Credit opt-out deadline is approaching
Meanwhile, the deadline to opt-out of the November Child Tax Credit is coming, with individuals who do not want to receive the next Child Tax Credit having until November 1, 2021, at 11:59 pm to do so.
While the October Child Tax Credit stimulus checks have been handed out, many parents have reported that their September stimulus check has not arrived. Families who have not yet received their payments for July, August, or September can use the IRS website to track down the funds.
Some people have also said they haven't received their October payments. Taxpayers can use the web site to verify their stimulus payments and determine whether they're eligible for advanced payments.
In 2021, the credits will be worth $3,600 for children under the age of six and $3,000 for those aged six to seventeen. Families with college students between the ages of 18 and 24 are eligible for a $500 grant. Because low-income people are not obliged to file tax returns, some families in need may fall through the cracks when the IRS distributes funds next month.
Last Monday, the IRS introduced a facility on its website to register for the Tax Child Credit, ensuring that all eligible Americans have access to the funds. Non-filers will need their Social Security numbers, as well as the numbers of their children, on hand, as per The Sun.
Related Article: New $1,800 Stimulus Check Release Date Revealed; Here's How Many Payments Are Left in 2021
