Quick Take:
California will send out roughly 5.7 million Golden State Stimulus payments of $600 to residents struggling to stay afloat during the pandemic. For most recipients, the money could come in as soon as a month.
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California will soon be sending out $600 one-time stimulus payments to millions of low-income California households, with extra help for undocumented workers left out of the federal government’s pandemic relief. The Golden State Stimulus is part of a $7.6 billion economic stimulus package that Gov. Gavin Newsom signed today that also includes billions in relief for small businesses.
“Those who have been left behind in that federal stimulus, California’s not going to leave you behind,” Newsom said during the signing ceremony in Sacramento with legislative leaders.
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An estimated 5.7 million checks will go to low-income Californians, including families with children enrolled in CalWORKS, as well as elderly, blind and disabled recipients of Supplemental Security Income or the state’s Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants.
“Lower-wage workers have often been on the front lines in service jobs with high levels of exposure,” said Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon. “This will give them an additional tax rebate to help them make ends meet.”
The $3.8 billion stimulus payment program is the result of weeks of negotiations between lawmakers, after Newsom first proposed a narrower version of the stimulus in January.
Here’s who will receive a Golden State Stimulus check:
This article is part of the California Divide, a collaboration among newsrooms examining income inequality and economic survival in California.