As Federal Unemployment Benefits Come To End, Some States Are Issuing Their Own Stimulus Checks And Bonuses

Many federal unemployment benefit programs such as the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation, Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, and Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation, end this September. The expiration of these three programs is most likely to affect 7.5 million jobless workers. Do not fret, though, because some states are issuing their stimulus checks and bonuses.

According to a Census served data that studied information from July through August, about one in four households across the United States struggle to pay their household expenses. Unemployment expert at the left-leaning Century Foundation, Andrew Stettner, said of the struggle, “People were counting on things being back to normal 100 percent by now, and we’re not there yet.”

Most of these state-imposed stimulus checks and bonuses will help low-income households or teachers. The stimulus checks and bonuses per state vary and were rolled out after the Biden administration said they would not extend the federal unemployment benefits but hoped that local officials could use their funding to extend their programs to their citizens.

California has a stimulus check called Golden State stimulus. It could amount to $1,100 or lower. The state began distributing the stimulus check on Aug. 25 and the payments are expected to be given out to about 25 million residents. This is the second stimulus check issued by the state. The amount for the second stimulus check will depend on the first one released by the state. People who received the first check but do not have a dependent will no longer qualify for the second check.

Credit: marca.com

So, if you have a dependent but already received the first check, you can get $500. The $1,100 mentioned above will only go to people who did not get their first check and have at least one dependent. If you have no dependent and did not get the first check, you are eligible for $600. To claim the payment, the resident must file a 2020 state tax return by October 15.

Another state that will issue its stimulus check is Maryland. The eligible resident will get $300 to $500 cash assistance. This will only be available to those who claimed the Earned Income Tax Credit on their tax returns. The deadline for filing the tax return was last July 15, CBS News reported.

As for the expected amount, a scenario was released by Maryland. If a married couple with two children has an income of below $53,000, they can qualify for the state-issued stimulus check. Couples who file jointly will receive $500. Individuals can receive $300.

In Florida, the cash bonus will be $1,000 and will only be given to teachers in their K-12 public schools and public charter schools. On the other hand, Texas will provide cash bonuses to teachers, and it could amount to as high as $2,000.  The amount is dependent on school districts’ approvals.