In Chicago, applications for the city's Resilient Communities Monthly Cash Assistance Pilot will open soon, a scheme in which the city will give $500 to 5,000 low-income people.

Such programs provide a set of users with guaranteed income over a long period, usually with no strings attached. The goal is to dispel a popular belief that when people are given what amounts to a handout, they become aimless wards of the state. And, in reality, to see how a gift of free money may improve the receivers' life in concrete ways.

Chicago Provides $500 Stimulus Checks

The Chicago basic income initiative is still in its early phases at the time of this writing. In April, for example, applicants will be able to register for the program. Participants will also be picked by a lottery.

The idea is also a component of Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot's $1.2 billion Chicago Recovery Plan. This in turn draws on $31.5 million in federal monies under the American Rescue Plan for 2021.

The receivers of the basic income monies would not be bound by any conditions. That is, they are free to spend the money any way they wish. Applicants must be at least 18 years old, have faced economic hardship as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and have a family income of less than 250 percent of the federal poverty level to be eligible.

As previously said, this Chicago attempt comes at a time when what had been a vigorous national movement to deliver regular stimulus checks has slowed.

The federal government sent six child tax credit stimulus checks from July through December of last year. The majority of Democrats predicted that this trend would continue through 2022. They did not anticipate that attempt collapsing in the Senate, where Democrats have a razor-thin majority, due to a single Democrat's dissent, according to BGR.

Maine Also Has Relief for Its Residents

States continue to deliver targeted help to their populations in the absence of federal stimulus funds. Maine is one of the states that has either sent or is in the process of delivering stimulus payments. Gov. Janet Mills is pushing for a $250 increase in the inflation stimulus check. After the state commission predicted an increase in state income, Mills decided to boost the amount of the inflation stimulus checks.

Following a meeting of the state's revenue forecasting panel on Tuesday, Mills revealed her intention to increase the amount of the inflation stimulus checks. Through June 2023, the panel estimates an extra $411.6 million in revenue. The commission had previously estimated the state's income to be $822 million.

Mills opted to increase the state's inflation stimulus check to $750 by half of the expected gain in income. If the state legislature accepts Mills' supplementary budget plan, the inflation stimulus check would begin to be sent in July to nearly 800,000 Maine citizens, as per Entrepreneur.

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Oregonians May Claim $600 Stimulus Check

Meanwhile, state senators recently approved a plan to grant one-time $600 payments to qualifying residents. This stimulus money may have a substantial impact on many Oregonians who are still struggling financially. Residents will be eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit in 2020 and will be able to claim it on their income tax returns. Refunds will also be available to those who modify their 2020 tax filings by April 15, 2022.

Around 250,000 households are expected to qualify, according to the Oregon Department of Revenue (DOR). Payment will be paid through the Department of Revenue. The monies will come from the State Fiscal Recovery Fund established by the American Rescue Plan Act.

The bill was passed by the House on March 2 with a 42-16 majority. The next day, the Senate passed the bill by a vote of 23-2. It now has to be signed into law by Governor Kate Brown.

There will be no requirement for eligible Oregon residents to fill out an application. Rather, homeowners might expect to get compensation by direct deposit or check as early as June of this year. Hopefully, these inspections will benefit a large number of households.

You are not alone if you are still recovering financially from the pandemic. Any relief measures, such as the laws indicated above, should be informed. Make the most of any aid that is offered to you. Every additional dollar adds up. Take a look at our financial resources if you need more financial guidance or assistance, California Examiner reported.

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