FAMILIES in one state have just weeks until they can receive $500 monthly payments sent directly to their bank accounts.
Only a few families are eligible for direct payments and must submit a request before the time runs out in just a few days.
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In early June, Pomona, California began to accept applications for the Pomona Household Universal Grants (HUG) Pilot Program, created to provide support to those in need of unconditional financial support.
Eligible families will receive $500 per month for an 18-month period.
Only 250 Pomona residents will be selected for the program, with the primary target being families with young children facing financial hardship.
Recipients may also qualify for an additional $50 for participating in research conducted by UCLA.
Read more about direct payments
To qualify, beneficiaries must meet the following criteria:
- Live within Pomona city limits
- Being a parent or guardian of children three years old or younger
- Have a household income at or below 300% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines or 65% of the area median income (which is about $63,830 per year)
Registration opened on June 17th.
On July 10th, the program will also hold a random draw to reach a total number of 600 registrants.
From July 10th to August 1st, applications will be analyzed and selected.
Selected recipients will be notified on August 12th and will receive their first payment on August 26th.
There is no specific item or object that families need to spend money on.
However, the funds are intended to help cover the costs of essential expenses such as rent, child care, or food.
Pomona is home to about 146,000 residents who are predominantly Latino.
Approximately 12% of the population lives below the poverty line.
Other Payments Americans Can Claim
- Starting this month, Sacramento County must issue monthly payments of $725 to eligible Native American and African American families living in five zip codes.
- Shoppers who used a popular brand of deodorant have just days to claim part of a $2 million settlement alleging the brand may have used high levels of benzene, a cancer-causing chemical.
- Americans born on certain days who qualify for Social Security disability insurance will receive a massive check on certain days
- Thousands can also claim up to $780 in a $1.853 million settlement, and you don’t have to provide proof.
Mayor Tim Sandoval praised the program, saying in a press release, “Through Pomona HUG, we are taking a significant step toward nurturing the future of our community by supporting Pomona families with children under four.”
“Fatherhood often brings unique challenges, and the HUG Program aims to alleviate some of these burdens by investing in the well-being of our families and the future of Pomona,” he added.
To fund the direct payment program, the city allocated more than $2.4 million that originally came from the American Rescue Plan Act.
The $1.9 trillion stimulus bill was signed into law by President Joe Biden in March 2021, offering support to families, small businesses and more as the economy recovered from the coronavirus pandemic.
Beverly Johnson, Pomona’s interim director of neighborhood services, told the LA Times that the city is hopeful the program will help families looking to catch up on rent.
However, Johnson emphasized that they are not restricted in their use of the funds.
“While this $500 is intended to relieve them of some of their stressors, it can also be used in any area they need it, so there are no restrictions in terms of how they can use the funding.”
How does Guaranteed Income work?
The Guaranteed Income and Universal Basic Income programs have gained popularity recently.
After the Biden administration’s 2021 American Rescue Plan sent stimulus money to local governments, dozens began testing guaranteed income (GI) systems.
The specifics vary, but GI typically involves payments to people with low incomes. Unlike traditional welfare, there are no work requirements, drug tests, or other restrictions.
Some have advocated for a Universal Basic Income (UBI), which would go to everyone regardless of how much money they earn at work. Alaska has used a similar system since the 1970s.
Proponents say this alleviates poverty while encouraging work, unlike classic welfare, which cuts benefits to people who start earning “too much” money to qualify.
Opponents argue that such a system is too expensive to operate on a large scale and suggest that Americans should avoid becoming dependent on government money.
With some cities touting the success of GI programs, some Republican-led states have taken steps to ban them. States like Texas and Iowa, for example, undermined major spending plans by pushing against GI.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
