Yes, after all this time, there are still some stimulus checks programs: just not run by the federal government: On three occasions early on in the coronavirus pandemic, the federal government approved rounds of stimulus checks.
This happened in the CARES Act in early 2020, and again later that year. After the Biden Administration came into office in 2021, another round of stimulus checks was passed that March as part of the American Rescue Plan Act, and headed out the door in the subsequent months.
Yes, Stimulus Checks Are Still Around (By State Governments)
Since then, there have been various petitions calling for another round of checks, or possibly even recurring ones. However, none of these have been passed at the federal level, with the White House all but declaring that the era of stimulus checks was over, and further stimulus not part of the Inflation Reduction Act, which passed last year.
There’s been less of a need for such direct payments as the pandemic emergency has receded, and it is also the belief of some economists that the stimulus checks helped lay the groundwork for inflation.
Meanwhile, with Republicans taking over the House of Representatives, it’s unlikely that stimulus checks will be forthcoming anytime in the next two years. The GOP has been calling for reducing spending, rather than increasing it, and of the many policy proposals they have laid out as part of the Republican agenda, a new round of stimulus checks has not been part of that.
And while the stimulus checks at the federal level won’t be happening for the next two years, several states have passed stimulus checks for their own residents. They’re, for the most part, not as large as the federal checks were, and the eligibility is a bit narrower for most people than in the federal stimulus rounds.
Yahoo Finance published a roundup of which states still have stimulus checks going out in 2023.
California has been one of the more aggressive states when it comes to sending out stimulus checks.
“California authorized inflation relief checks of up to $1,050 in 2022, and most payments have already been distributed. However, the state estimates that about 5% of checks won’t go out until Jan. 15, 2023,” Yahoo said. “Rebate amounts start at $350 and are based on a combination of income, household size, and tax-filing status. Singles earning $250,000 or more and couples earning at least $500,000 are ineligible.”
Another state with generous stimulus checks is Colorado.
“Colorado state residents who filed their 2021 taxes on time most likely already received payments of $750 for singles and $1,500 for joint filers by Sept. 30. However, those who filed an extension by the Oct. 17 deadline may still be awaiting their payment, which is slated to arrive no later than Jan. 31, 2023.”
It isn’t only blue states that have been sending out stimulus checks.
“Idaho approved 2022 Special Session rebates that will be paid out by the end of March 2023. The amount of the rebate is the greater of 10% of a taxpayer’s 2020 income tax liability, $300 for single filers or $600 for joint filers,” Yahoo said. “The state Tax Commission anticipates sending about 800,000 payments totaling as much as $500 million.”
New Jersey has stimulus plans of its own.
“New Jersey is sending out $2 billion in property tax rebates to two million of its residents. The amount of the rebate is income-based, with homeowners earning up to $150,000 qualifying for $1,500 and those earning $150,000 to $250,000 receiving $1,000,” Yahoo said. “Renters are also entitled to $450, as long as they earn no more than $150,000. Payments are slated to arrive no later than May 2023.”
Stimulus is coming next door, in Pennsylvania
“Pennsylvania began sending out payments to older renters, homeowners, and people with disabilities in July 2022, but the deadline for filing a claim was Dec. 31, 2022. This means that payments will spill over into 2023 as well for qualifying residents who get their paperwork in before the deadline,” the site said.
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Stephen Silver is a Senior Editor for 19FortyFive. He is an award-winning journalist, essayist and film critic, who is also a contributor to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Broad Street Review and Splice Today. The co-founder of the Philadelphia Film Critics Circle, Stephen lives in suburban Philadelphia with his wife and two sons. Follow him on Twitter at @StephenSilver.
