Final $500 payment hitting families’ bank accounts in days as life-saving program comes to end after two years
After two years, some families will receive their last cash transfer as part of a LIFE-SAVING project.
In one state, the direct payment opportunity is a component of a pilot program for guaranteed basic income.
Elevate MV has been helping qualifying residents in Mountain View, California, which is located roughly 14 miles northwest of downtown San Jose.
Elevate MVs are operated by the Mountain View Community Services Agency with assistance from Community Financial Resources and the YMCA.
Additionally, the University of Pennsylvania Center for Guaranteed Income Research used it in one of its studies.
According to its website, the program provides financial aid to people with “extremely low income” so they may acquire basic requirements and have greater security.
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The funds are disbursed in unlimited installments of $500 per month for a total of $6,000 over two years.
This implies that qualified applicants are free to use the funds anyway “best meets the basic needs of their family and is not tied to conditions,” according to Elevate MV.
In an effort to “empower” citizens financially, the guaranteed income pilot chose to leave it unrestricted.
After submitting applications, at least 166 individuals were chosen at random in an impartial lottery process to receive cash from Elevate MV.
ELIGIBILITY
Two essential conditions have to be fulfilled by the applications:
Residents must, first and foremost, have reported household incomes below the 30% Area Median Income (AMI).
Americans can score $500 monthly payments in free money from breathe program and there are no strings attached
Additionally, at the time the application was submitted, they had to be pregnant or a caregiver for at least one kid under the age of 18.
On December 15, 2022, the 166 residents of Mountain View received their first payments.
Although the final payment was sent on November 15, it’s possible that some participants haven’t yet received their final $500.
According to Elevate MV’s website, the “pilot program concludes December 2024.”
How does Guaranteed Income work?
Programs like Universal Basic Income and Guaranteed Income have gained a lot of traction lately.
Numerous local governments started experimenting with guaranteed income (GI) programs after the Biden administration’s American Rescue Plan of 2021 provided stimulus funds to them.
Although the details differ, GI usually include payments to low-income individuals. There are no conditions like drug tests or employment requirements, unlike traditional welfare.
A Universal Basic Income (UBI), which would be distributed to all people independent of their income from employment, has been advocated by some. Since the 1970s, Alaska has operated under a similar structure.
Advocates claim that, in contrast to traditional assistance, which reduces payments for those who start making “too much” money to qualify, this reduces poverty while encouraging work.
Opponents contend that Americans should refrain from becoming dependent on government funding since such a system is too costly to operate on a big scale.
Some Republican-led states have taken steps to outlaw GI programs after some localities celebrated their success. For instance, states like Texas and Iowa have pushed against GI, undermining significant spending commitments.
For an extra two years, it’s unclear if Elevate MV will hold another application procedure to help other applicants.
CALIFORNIAN CARE
Additionally, Californians should be aware of Sacramento’s Family First Economic Support Pilot (FFESP).
About 200 low-income households in specific zip codes will receive assistance from FFESP, which aims to reduce financial inequality among Black, American Indian, and Alaska Native families.
It aims to give parents the chance to support their children’s mental health in addition to providing for themselves and their children while establishing a stable financial foundation. Sacramento’s perbehealthy.org.
For a period of one year, qualifying households who apply get payments of $725 per month, for a total of $8,700.
Those who were accepted into FFESP should anticipate receiving their first payment on December 15; applications closed on October 13.
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Another state offers a free “artist” program that will provide qualifying applicants $500 checks per month for five years.
In Georgia, some families also received $1,000 monthly payments as part of a “music” scheme.
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