Some people are getting $1,000 'thank you' stimulus checks: See if you qualify
LAKE MARY, Fla. - Despite talk about a possible fourth stimulus check for Americans, there don't appear to be any plans in the near future for one.
Over 80 members of Congress continue to call for more relief money, although President Joe Biden has not committed to approving another round of ‘stimmy’ checks.
According to a recent survey, the last rounds of stimulus checks helped improve Americans’ ability to buy food, pay bills and reduced anxiety and depression. So far, nearly 3 million people have signed an online Change.org petition calling for recurring $2,000 per month payments.
RELATED: IRS stimulus checks: Petition for additional $2,000 monthly payments nears 3 million
Just this month, millions of Americans began to receive Child Tax Credit payments, giving qualifying families at least $250 extra in their bank accounts for every child in the home. That money is set to be deposited each month over six months.
Now some states, including Florida, are giving out one-time $1,000 bonus payments to teachers as a way to say thank you for their work during the pandemic. Gov. Ron DeSantis announced in May that the payments would go to nearly 175,000 public school teachers and principals.
The money for the bonuses is coming from the third round of the elementary and secondary school emergency relief fund.
First responders were also included to receive $1,000 bonuses, DeSantis announced back in March.
The Wall Street Journal reports that lawmakers in Georgia also signed off on $1,000 checks for nearly every teacher and staff member, costing over $200 million. The 'thank you" bonuses are to support recruiting and retention.
While many are thankful for the extra money, some parents are furious over it. California parent Lindsay Nofelt told the Journal that the stimulus cash should be used to help boost attainment levels in science and math.
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"I’m the last person to say ‘don’t pay teachers’. However, it should come from the appropriate bond."
Florida Politics reports that paying the bonuses to teachers in the state using $216 million in federal COVID-19 relief funds would "conflict" with federal guidelines. However, the outlet reports that the governor still expects teachers to receive the $1,000 payments when the school year begins next month.
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