The spread of COVID-19 continues but the flow of stimulus checks does not look so forthcoming.
With the Omicron variant making its way across the US, there has been more impetus for further economic support for the American people and businesses. The high infectiousness is forcing thousands of people off work, putting them under pressure as federal support such as the Child Tax Credit stimulus checks winds down.
While very few states have committed to stimulus checks in the ilk of the Economic Impact Payments, quite a few still have some extra pandemic-related support that state residents can access.
Some States That Are Offering Their Own Stimulus Checks
The standout state is California, which has the only real form of stimulus checks remaining, and these are just the last payments of a plan set up last year.
Others, like Alaska, have state-run dividend packages that are sent to residents each year. However, these cannot be classed as stimulus checks as they have existed for 50-odd years and have nothing to do with the covid-19 pandemic.
California: The most generous state-sponsored relief initiative comes in California, where two-thirds of residents are set to receive a Golden State stimulus check worth $600. As of 31 October, around 4.5 million of the more than 9 million residents eligible had received their checks. The vast majority of the remaining checks were sent by mail, from late August up to 11 January.
Arizona: There will be no fourth stimulus check in Arizona, but a ‘return-to-work’ bonus has seen unemployed residents receive up to a $2,000 direct payment if they found full-time work between May 13 and September 6, 2021, provided they were unemployed in May.
Florida: On the back of an additional round of $1,000 stimulus checks for around 170,000 teachers and principals during 2021, as a ‘thank you’ for their work throughout the pandemic, Florida’s 2022 budget includes a $1,000 bonus for teaching staff.
