A NEW program is set to benefit thousands of Americans who are one step closer receiving $1000 payments.
The Guaranteed Income Program will allow low income residents not receiving an other aid and taking a financial literary class to receive $1000 payments for 18 months.
Low income earners could receive $1000 for 18 months if a new Guaranteed Income Program is approved in Contra Costa County[/caption]
Contra Costa County staff are proposing an allocation of $4.5 million for direct payments to launch guaranteed income pilots countywide.
Approximately 250 residents in Contra Costa County will benefit from the new program if board approves the staff recommendations.
Those who could receive the $1000 payments include low income Contra Costa residents which are not participating in other guaranteed income programs.
Other groups that could benefit are youth transitioning out of foster care, residents who are unhoused or unstably housed, residents returning to the community after incarceration, and families with young children facing financial hardship.
Contra Costa Country staff will bring back a plan to the Board of Supervisors at a future meeting to approve.
Meanwhile, The City of Salem and UpTogether have just launched a guaranteed income program called Uplift Salem.
Participants who live in Salem, Massachusetts, will receive $500 a month for one year with no strings attached.
The program will choose 100 residents who will be able to spend the payments however they decide.
However, each recipient will be evaluated by two Salem State University faculty members, according to a statement from the program.
Applications will open on October 28 and residents will have two weeks to apply or until 350 eligible applications have been received – whichever comes first.
We want Salem to be an affordable place for everyone, and a guaranteed income program offers an innovative approach to help achieve that goal,” Salem Mayor Dominick Pangallo said in a statement.
To submit a form, be sure to check out the Uplift Salem website.
ARE YOU ELIGIBLE?
To qualify for the program, residents must meet two criteria.
Participants must reside in Salem, Massachusetts – this included unhoused residents who spend the majority of their time in Salem.
Second, they must have a household or family income at or below 100% of the federal poverty level based on household size.
Folks will be selected randomly from the group of eligible applications.
WHAT IS GUARANTEED INCOME?
Guaranteed income is similar to universal basic income, UBI, where programs provide individuals with regularly fixed incomes.
These can be programs that use public funds or are funded by the government.
Each program looks to reduce poverty and may be implemented federally and statewide.
While guaranteed income is similar to UBI, it typically provides a smaller amount of money and is aimed at a specific group.
How does Guaranteed Income work?
Guaranteed Income and Universal Basic Income programs have taken off in popularity recently.
After the Biden administration’s American Rescue Plan of 2021 sent stimulus money to local governments, dozens began testing guaranteed income (GI) systems.
The specifics vary, but GI typically involves payouts to people with low incomes. Unlike traditional welfare, there are no job requirements, drug tests, or other strings attached.
Some have pushed for a Universal Basic Income (UBI), which would go to everyone regardless of how much money they make at work. Alaska has used a similar system since the 1970s.
Proponents say this alleviates poverty while incentivizing work, unlike classic welfare, which cuts benefits from people who begin earning “too much” money to qualify.
Opponents argue such a system is too expensive to function on a large scale and suggest Americans should avoid becoming reliant on government money.
With some cities heralding the success of GI programs, some Republican-led states have moved to ban them. States like Texas and Iowa, for example, have undermined major spending plans by pushing against GI
