A MAJOR county has voted to implement a new guaranteed basic income program.
Harris County, Texas, which includes Houston, has approved a new payment program called Uplift.
Uplift will provide $500 monthly checks for a year and half to 1500 residents.
The payments will cost $20.5million taken from $915million the county received in COVID-19 federal funding.
Democratic-controlled Harris County Commissioners Court voted for the program 4-1.
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner had been lobbying for such a basic income for two years.
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He is one of 43 mayors to join Mayors for a Guaranteed Income, (MGI) in 2021.
Recipients must make less than 200 percent of the federal poverty level.
This means a family of four making $60,000 or less would qualify.
Recipients will be randomly chosen and be able to spend the money how they see fit.
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UPCOMING CHECKS
While Harris County has yet to announce when Uplift will take effect, other direct payment programs for needy Americans are currently ongoing.
Recipients of Colorado's Property Tax, Rent, Heat (PTC) Rebate who applied by the June 10 deadline and opted to get a direct deposit received a payment yesterday.
The $7million rebate program is meant to help senior and low-income residents offset rising home prices.
The maximum PTC rebate is $1,044 per year.
The rebate is sent in installments, with yesterday's beneficiaries due one-third of their overall payment.
That means the largest potential payment was just shy of $350.
Paper checks will be distributed on July 15 for those without direct deposit.
Eligible recipients must have lived in Colorado between January 1, 2022, and December 31, 2022.
The income limit is $16,925 for single filers and $22,858 for joint filers.
More deadlines to apply for later checks are coming up this year, and those interested can learn more here.
The U.S. Sun's stimulus payment blog keeps track of all upcoming payments
The U.S. Sun is also covering major social security news and payments.
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