Stimulus check update: These states are sending 'inflation relief' payments
High inflation prompts states to offer tax rebates with California doling out as much as $1,050 per household
As high inflation saddles Americans with an extra financial burden, some states are helping out with one-time stimulus rebates to offset the pain of higher prices.
The Labor Department reported earlier this month that the consumer price index rose 9.1% in June from a year ago, marking the fastest pace of inflation since November 1981. The CPI is a broad measure of the price for everyday goods, including gasoline, groceries and rents.
Scorching-hot inflation has created severe financial pressures on most U.S. households, which are forced to pay more everyday necessities like food, gasoline and rent. The burden is disproportionately borne by low-income Americans, whose already-stretched paychecks are heavily impacted by price fluctuations.
Here's a closer look at which states are providing households with tax rebates and who's eligible for the money.
INFLATION TIMELINE: MAPPING THE BIDEN ADMIN'S RESPONSE TO RAPID PRICE GROWTH
California
Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, approved a state budget that includes inflation relief checks as high as $1,050 for a married couple with at least one dependent. The payments — which are coming out of California's $97 billion budget surplus — will be sent either as direct deposits or debit cards by 2023.
The first payments are slated to go out in October.
- Single taxpayers who earn less than $75,000 a year will qualify for $350, plus another $350 if they have any dependents.
- Couples who file jointly and make less than $150,000 a year will receive up to $700, plus $350 for any dependents, for a total of $1,050.
The payments are tapered for higher earners.
The money is technically a tax refund that will send roughly $9.5 billion back to state residents.
Colorado
Residents who filed their 2021 tax return by June 30 will receive a check for $750 by September. Joint filers will receive up to $1,500.
Filers who received an extension and file by the Oct. 17 deadline will receive the tax refund by the end of January.
Gov. Jared Polis, a Democrat, signed the refund bill in late May.
Delaware
Delaware residents who had filed a 2020 state tax return received a one-time payment of $300 earlier this year. Couples filing jointly received $300 apiece. The relief was intended to help Delawareans facing higher prices at the grocery store and gas pump.
Florida
Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, announced last week that his administration is sending checks worth up to $450 per child to lower-income families. An estimated 59,000 families will qualify for the money.
Florida is paying for the initiative by reallocating $35.5 million that it received from President Biden's COVID-19 relief package, the American Rescue Plan.
Eligible recipients include foster parents, relative and nonrelative caregivers and families receiving funds from the Florida Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program or Guardianship Assistance program, according to a statement from the Florida Department of Children and Families.
Officials expect the money to arrive ahead of the Sunshine State's "back-to-school" sales-tax holiday which runs from July 25 to Aug. 7.
Georgia
Georgia residents who filed both their 2020 and 2021 tax returns will be eligible to receive rebate payments based on their tax-filing status:
- Single filers: Maximum $250
- Head of household: Maximum $375
- Married filing jointly: Maximum $500
The state was able to approve the rebates thanks to a historic budget surplus.
Hawaii
The Hawaii legislature approved a tax rebate earlier this year that provides $300 to residents who earned less than $100,000 in 2021. Those who earned more than $100,000 will receive a one-time payout of $100.
The Department of Taxation has said that payments could begin processing in late August with most payments to be sent out by the end of October.
Idaho
Gov. Brad Little, a Republican, signed a law in February providing $75 to each taxpayer and dependent, or 12% of their 2020 state income tax liability, whichever is greater.
Idaho started mailing the checks in March. You can check the status of your rebate online.
Illinois
Illinois approved a $1.83 billion relief package earlier this year that includes both income and property tax rebates.
Under the law, individuals who earned less than $200,000 in 2021 will receive a $50 tax rebate. Couples who file jointly and who earned less than $400,000 in 2021 will receive a one-time payment of $100.
Filers can receive another $100 per dependent they claimed on their 2021 taxes, with a maximum of three dependents. A family of five could receive as much as $400 under the measure.
Indiana
The state began delivering $125 payments to all residents regardless of income thanks to Indiana's automatic taxpayer refund law. Gov. Eric Holcomb, a Republican, has called on the state legislature to send another $225 to taxpayers.
Maine
Taxpayers who filed a 2021 state tax return and have an adjusted gross income of less than $100,000 if single, $150,000 if filing as head of household and $200,000 if married and filing jointly will receive a one-time payment of $850. Couples filing jointly can receive $1,700.
Minnesota
Gov. Tim Walz, a Democrat, signed a bill in May approving a $750 payment for frontline workers. Eligible individuals must have worked at least 120 hours in Minnesota between Mar. 15, 2020 and June 30, 2021.
Workers with direct COVID-19 patient-care responsibilities must have an annual income of less than $175,000 between December 2019 and January 2022. If employees did not work directly with COVID-19 patients, the payment threshold is lowered to $85,000 for the same period,
The application period closed on July 22.
New Mexico
Earlier this year, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham approved a measure offering residents $250 if their income is less than $75,000 a year, and $500 for married couples filing joint returns, heads of household and surviving spouses with incomes under $150,000.
The August rebate is in addition to previous payments of $250 and $500 sent in June.
Pennsylvania
The Keystone state set up a property tax and rent rebate program in July, delivering money from a $121.7 million fund to people with disabilities, older homeowners and renters. Those eligible for the program should visit myPath website or file a paper application before Dec. 31, 2022.
Payments will be delivered via direct deposit or check.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ON FOX BUSINESS
The maximum standard rebate is $650, but some homeowners can qualify for $975 in supplemental rebates.
South Carolina
Some taxpayers will qualify for a one-time payment of up to $800. Details for obtaining the rebate are expected to be released later this year.
Virginia
Lawmakers approved a one-time tax rebate in June. Taxpayers who filed a return by Jul. 1 will receive a rebate by Oct. 31 of $250 if single, while couples filing jointly will get up to $500. You must file your taxes by Nov. 1 to receive the rebate.
Residents who have moved or changed their name should update their information with the Virginia Department of Taxation prior to Aug. 15.