The Winter Energy Relief Payments of $450 direct checks will be given to eligible Maine individuals. It’s the most direct way to get help to Maine people by putting money back into their pockets to help with high energy prices this winter. These payments are part of a larger Emergency Winter Energy Relief Plan approved by the Legislature as an emergency measure. The relief payment checks will be sent to an estimated 880,000 eligible Maine individuals.
To be eligible, you must have:
- Filed a Maine income tax return as a full-year resident of the State for the tax year 2021 by October 31, 2022;
- Reported a federal adjusted income for the tax year 2021 of less than:
- $200,000 for individuals that filed a married joint return or surviving spouses;
- $150,000 for individuals that filed as head of household;
- $100,000 for a single individual or a married individual that filed a separate return.
The eligibility status will be automatically determined based on the individual income tax return that was filed by October 31, 2022. The new Winter Energy Relief Payment does not require Maine taxpayers to file a 2022 return.
If a check was issued to a deceased individual, then it was because that person was alive and filed individual income tax last 2021, and met all the given criteria. Eligibility for the Winter Energy Relief Payment is based on the 2021 Maine individual income tax return. That check may be considered an asset of the deceased and handled by the deceased’s estate.
If destroyed, lost, or stolen just contact Maine Revenue Services at 207-624-9924 to begin the process of reissuing payment. The process can take up to 4-6 weeks.
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