A 4th Stimulus Check Is Happeningif You Live In These States
9 Minute Read | December 14, 2021
It seems like every time a stimulus check goes out, theres a five-second pause before someone starts asking, So . . . will there be another stimulus? If youre one of those people who has been wondering if a fourth stimulus will happen, weve got your answer: Yes . . . kind of. Its true, a fourth stimulus check is happeningbut only if you live in certain states in America.
Right now, you might be thinking, Wait. What? Really?
Yep, its for real. Lets dig into this topic layer by layer and coast to coast.
Economic Recovery For Some
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Relief payments were intended to ease COVIDs economic impact and support the economy in the process. The third round of relief payments started back in March, courtesy of the American Rescue Plan . Over the following months, about 169 million people received up to $1,400 each. That accounted for nearly all of the $422 billion set aside. The ARP checks closely followed the $600 payments from January, which came nine months after the $1,200 payments from the pandemics early days. They seem to have worked, but have also helped many who didnt actually need the money.
In the third quarter of 2021, the U.S. economy grew at an annualized rate of 2.0 percent, according to the most recent estimate from the Bureau of Economic Analysis. Thats a major slowdown from the torrid pace in the second quarter, which saw 6.7 percent growth. The Conference Board forecasts continued though slower growth through the rest of the year. The countrys gross domestic product , an estimate of economic activity across the U.S., has surpassed pre-pandemic levels. By that general measure, the economy has fully recovered.
Consumer spending remains strong, with the rate up 1.7 percent in October, as compared to a 0.8 percent rise in September. Auto sales also show signs of returning, as production increases to fill the need. The increase, in general, is a positive sign for whats ahead in the holiday shopping season. Overall, goods spending remains above pre-pandemic levels.
Which Cities Are Giving Out 4th Stimulus Checks
Thats rightcities are now getting in on the stimulus check action too . See if your town made the list:
- Chicago
Low-income residents of The Windy City have been given stimulus checks at random. You read that right. Chicago will give out $500 checks to 5,000 people each month throughout 2022. Theyll be selected at random for this stimulus lottery.19
- Los Angeles
Like Chicago, LA is handing out payments to low-income residents for a year. Their program, called BIG:LEAP, will give 3,200 randomly chosen people $1,000 each month.20
- Pittsburgh
Pittsburghs program is called the Assured Cash Experiment and gives 200 low-income residents $500 each monthfor two years. The program will spend $2.5 million on lower-income zip codes.21
- Santa Ana
The close-by neighbors of LA are getting a stimulus program of their own called the Revive Santa Ana Resident Stimulus Program. It will give out $6 million to neighborhoods that fall below the poverty level in Santa Ana. Payments of $300 will be loaded onto prepaid debit cards and given out door to door to about 20,000 residents.22
- Seattle
Seattle has one of the more generous payouts on the list. The Seattle Relief Fund is a $16 million program that gives payments of $1,0003,000 to low-income residents of the Emerald City.23
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With No Fourth Stimulus Check From The Feds These States Are Paying Covid Cash
Don’t bother hoping for a fourth pandemic stimulus check from Congress. Though many Americans, including more than 2.95 million petition signers, are pleading for more help, lawmakers have moved on to debating infrastructure and other matters.
But a number of states have stepped in to provide money to ease financial strains for residents. In fact, the nation’s largest state this week is sending out another batch of hundreds of thousands of stimulus checks, and the nation’s easternmost state just began its own round of relief payments.
Here are six states currently providing cash to help people cover household expenses or pay down debt as the pandemic’s financial fallout lingers.
Th Stimulus Checks Given Out To Targeted Groups
Some states are digging into that wad of cash the government gave them and giving out the fourth stimulus checks to specific groups of people. The requirements look different for each state, but all seem to have a few things in commonlike falling into certain income levels or going through some kind of hardship.
- Arizona
The Grand Canyon State has a different take when it comes to stimulus checkstheyre giving them out to people who are going back to work. Arizonas Back to Work Program is offering $2,000 to those who got a job after being on unemployment.3 But you have to hold down your new job for at least eight weeks before getting the benefit.
- California
The Golden State is the only one on the list to give out big ol broad-sweeping stimulus checks that look like the ones the federal government gave out. Heres how their numbers break down: Californians making $75,000 or less were sent a one-time check of $600 or $1,200 as part of the Golden State Stimulus I.4 And with the Golden State Stimulus II, they could be eligible for a second stimulus payment anywhere from $500 to $1,100.5 Thats on top of extra money the state paid out through the Young Child Tax Credit to those who have children age 6 or younger.6
- Colorado
These guys decided to shift their focus to giving their stimulus checks to the unemployed. They sent $375 to folks who had gotten at least one unemployment check payment between March 15, 2020, and October 24, 2020.7
- Maine
- Missouri
- New Mexico
- New York
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Some Americans Will Be Getting A Fourth Stimulus Check
Despite the fact a fourth check won’t happen for most Americans, some will get another payment in 2022. This can happen if:
- They did not receive their full stimulus payments in 2021. Those who missed out on part or all of their payments could include people whose incomes dropped in 2021 and who became eligible for a stimulus check despite their 2020 income being too high to qualify. Anyone who added a dependent last year may also be owed payments due for that dependent. To get this money, it will be necessary to file a 2021 tax return.
- Their state provides another stimulus check. Some states are using money provided by the federal government for COVID-19 relief to provide payments this year.
Outside of these situations, Americans shouldn’t expect more help from Washington in the form of a fourth stimulus check in 2022 unless the pandemic takes a devastating turn.
No More Appetite For Spending
Democrats in Congress might be growing weary of further spending. They hope to pass the infrastructure bill soon, which would authorize a massive amount of federal spending. Such a move would make it difficult for the party to explain the need for yet more money to go out the door immediately after.
Even though some Democrats may favor such spending, some moderate Democrats could break the partys voting bloc, which would be a disaster. Democrats only narrowly control the Senate: its a 50-50 split, with Vice President Kamala Harris serving as the tiebreaker. If even a single Democrat broke with the plan for a fourth stimulus check, it could cause such a law to fail outright.
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Outcry Grows Even As New Relief Heads Toward Families
Is there going to be a fourth stimulus check this year. And so far, there’s no fourth stimulus check in the works. Congress has talked about possibly providing a fourth check in. A fourth stimulus check is not included in the current version of this plan either, though one could theoretically still be added.
A lot of people are still wondering if there will be a fourth stimulus check in 2021. Direct payments have helped alleviate poverty in the u.s., and a fourth stimulus check alone would lift 6.6 million people out poverty in 2021, according to a. His recent $100 billion budget proposal includes a $600 payment to individuals and households earning between $30,000 and $75,000 per year.
Senators wrote a letter, signed on march 30, asking president biden to consider both recurring direct payments as well as automatic unemployment insurance. More calls are coming for a potential fourth stimulus check, with an economic nonprofit now adding its voice to the meleeand. Individuals earning less than $75,000 a year took in:
Clifford colby july 8, 2021 11:00 a.m. A fourth round of stimulus checks might not be on the board for 2021, but a petition calling for recurring payments has collected 2.5 million signatures. More $1,400 stimulus checks could bring 12 million out of poverty.
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How Likely Is A Fourth Stimulus Check
Don’t hold your breath, according to Wall Street analysts.
For one, the Biden administration has focused on infrastructure spending to spark economic growth, betting that an investment in roads, trains and other direct investments will help get people back to work and spur the ongoing recovery.
Secondly, economists have pointed fingers at relief efforts such as the three rounds of stimulus checks for contributing to inflation. Because Americans had cash in their pockets, they boosted spending on goods such as furniture, cars and electronics. Combine that with the supply-chain crunch, and the result was sharply higher inflation, according to economists.
Without new stimulus efforts on the horizon, it’s likely that inflation could moderate in 2022, according to Brad McMillan, the chief investment officer at Commonwealth Financial Network. “One cause of inflation has been an explosion of demand driven by federal stimulus,” he noted in a December report. “But that stimulus has now ended.”
He added, “Yes, we will continue to face inflation and supply problems, but they are moderating and will keep doing so.”
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A Timeline Of Past Stimulus Checks
The pandemic stimulus payments started nearly two years ago.
Stimulus checks were first deposited in the spring of 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic was just beginning, driving up the unemployment rate and causing financial hardship for many. Individuals with income below $75,000 received $1,200 and couples earning below $150,000 received $2,400.
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The Trump administration then in December 2020 $600 per individual taxpayer, $1,200 per married couple and an additional $600 for each child under the age of 17.
A third round came under the Biden administration in March 2021, giving $1,400 per individual and $2,800 per married couple, along with $1,400 per dependent this time regardless of age.
The Omicron Variant Didnt Slow Down Job Gains
Unlike last year though, when the Omicron variant pushed new infections to levels much higher than at any time during the pandemic, the US recorded significant job gains. Data collected in the middle of the surge reported 467,000 new hires, over three times what analysts had expected. Additionally, there are more job openings than there are workers available to take them pushing up wages as businesses try to attract employees.
On the other hand, 6 million people, nearly twice as many as in December, could not work or lost hours over the previous month due to the pandemic disrupting normal business at their place of employment. The incredibly fast rise in infections from the highly contagious Omicron variant fortunately appears to have reversed just as quickly.
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The Fourth Stimulus Check In The Us Is Still Being Discussed
Although there is no concrete project yet, Democratic representatives and senators continue to pressure President Joe Biden to support sending a fourth stimulus check. However, the more than 80 congressmen who support the economic plan have not yet achieved final approval.
But if one thing is true, the Biden administration is focused on its infrastructure plans, families and now the 2022 budget.
There is something important to note and that is that if Congress were to discuss an economic aid similar to the $1,400 US Rescue Plan , experts suggest focusing it on the poorest families, so this time, it would not reach everyone those who previously benefited.
If so, the number of people who are going to receive the check would be considerably reduced, and they would be practically those in conditions of real poverty. This would mean less costly for the treasury, but it would lower poverty levels.
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If Congress wanted to further reduce poverty or provide additional resources more broadly, the additional payments could do it, says a report How Additional Cash Payments Would Reduce Poverty from the Tax Policy Center.
And although the fourth aid has not yet materialized, the experts are already making two projections in their analysis, even considering a fifth check.
A fifth payment, which is marked as a second faster elimination payment would reduce that poverty rate to 6.3 percent among Hispanics.
A Fourth Stimulus Check Is Possible
For most Americans, it is extremely unlikely a fourth stimulus check will be provided. Here are a few key reasons why:
For all of these reasons, another check is unlikely to happen unless conditions take a dramatic turn for the worse — such as another COVID-19 variant that is vaccine resistant, easily transmitted, and more deadly.
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Fourth Stimulus Check Update: How To Get Another $1400 Direct Payment
Some Americans will be eligible for a $1,400 stimulus check this year even if Congress doesn’t pass any legislation for another round of checks.
Republicans and Democrats fought hard over the issue of stimulus checks after passing the first round in 2020, so most Americans have already received all the money they’re likely to get. However, some Americans will be able to claim additional payments when they file their taxes and they could be eligible for the full $1,400 payment.
One way Americans could be eligible for a full $1,400 payment is if they had a child in 2021. Why? Because the 2021 Economic Impact Payments were based on a person’s 2020 or 2019 return. So, any eligible dependent that came into the family last year wouldn’t have been included in the payment amount.
Those who have a child who qualifies for the Recovery Rebate Credit can claim the dependent when they file their 2021 tax return this year. To be eligible, the child must be under 19 at the end of the year unless they’re a student and a child, brother, sister, foster child, stepsibling, half-brother or half-sister or a descendant of any of them.
Unlike the first two rounds of payments, which limited dependent eligibility to just children, the third stimulus check made accommodations for dependents of all ages. So, a person who adds a parent or grandparent or another eligible dependent to their household could also be eligible for a $1,400 payment.
There’s Still Help Available
In the meantime, some Americans will be getting a stimulus of sorts in the form of monthly child tax credit payments. Those installments are scheduled to keep coming in through December.
While the boosted child tax credit is only supposed to apply to the current year, lawmakers are fighting to make the enhanced version a permanent part of the tax code and retain the current setup, where parents receive monthly installment payments rather than a single lump sum. The boosted credit has already done a good job of helping families make ends meet and lifting children out of poverty, so even if we don’t see another stimulus check anytime soon, that doesn’t mean aid isn’t going out to the people who need it.
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What Kinds Of Assistance Are There
Even though a fourth nationwide stimulus check seems improbable, there are still several ways to seek financial help from the federal government and your state.
A $1,400 payment is on the table. Citizens of the United States may be eligible for a $1,400 stimulus check payment in the early part of the new year, and the qualifications will be outlined in this article.
Parents of newborns, foster, or adoptive children will receive a stimulus check benefit in 2022, according to the US government. A new dependent or the parent of a child born in 2021 will receive a portion of the government aid.
Many Americans will be relieved to receive this new $1,400 stimulus check, and well go over all you need to know about claiming it in 2022 and how to do so below.
Why Some Are Calling For Additional Stimulus Checks
More than one-quarter of Americans had difficulty paying their usual household bills in the week before the survey, according to statistics from the December census.
Employment is still greater than the pre-pandemic average of 3.5%, even though many Americans have returned to their jobs. The unemployment rate presently stands at 4.2 percent, which is 2.3 million fewer workers than before the epidemic.
As a consequence of labor shortages and supply issues, many firms are still unable to function at full capacity despite the crisis in the supply chain.
The American Rescue Acts six-month extension of the child tax credit is also planned to expire in a single lump-sum tax refund payout for individuals who file their 2021 taxes.
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