Florida Joins The List Of A Growing Number Of States Sending Stimulus Checks To Residents: $450 One-Off Payment For Each Child

Nearly 59,000 families in Florida will get a one-off, one-time payment per child stimulus check of $450.

The payment was approved by the Republican Governor Ron DeSantis to offset the cost of living due to rising inflation and also to support parenthood. The payment is per child, rather than per family, and includes single parents, both fathers and mothers, adoptive families, and foster families.

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Families receiving the $450 stimulus check have the freedom to use it to buy anything from fuel at the pump to diapers. The single stimulus check of $450 will also be followed by the ‘Back to School’ scheme that will take place between July 25 and August 7. Parents can get the supplies they need for their children during the school year. the supplies include clothes, computers, shoes, bags, and other school supplies and will not attract taxes.

The soaring rate of inflation that has hit low and moderate-income groups across the country has left many citizens struggling to make ends meet. The hardest hit are families with children and the Florida administration is trying to find a solution to the issues. 

They have turned again to the stimulus check, a surprise considering that the Republicans have blamed the stimulus check for the economic woes facing the nation and have said that the inflation was the result of the third stimulus check, or the Economic Impact Payment signed by President Biden under the American Rescue Plan Act immediately after he came to power in January 2021.

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They are trying desperately to stop the issue of any more stimulus checks and have maintained for months that stopping support for citizens will cool down the economy sufficiently and prevent a recession.

The Stimulus Checks Part Of Hope Florida –  A Pathway To Prosperity

These Florida stimulus checks have been possible due to the initiative led by Casey DeSantis, the First Lady of the state, and her Hope Florida mission. The money to pay for the stimulus check is coming directly from funding signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis.

The initiative has been called “Hope Florida – A Pathway to Prosperity.” Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has signed a budget to pay for the payments with $35.5 expected to be paid to nearly $59,000 residents of the state.

There is no restriction on how the money can be spent and can be used for anything from diapers to gasoline. Another fund of $100 million was approved by DeSantis for the benefit of paramedics, firefighters, law enforcement agents, emergency medical technicians, and a host of other first responders. They will get a one-off stimulus check of $1,000.

The other States Also Have Announced Stimulus Checks To Tackle Inflation Earlier 

Florida is not the only state to be giving stimulus checks to its residents in the middle of the record inflation that has affected even middle-class Americans severely.

Around a dozen states, including Maine, New Mexico, and California are sending out stimulus checks of varying amounts though they have been termed inflation relief payments.

California is giving out incoming stimulus checks that will be one-time tax refunds for the middle class. A family can expect to get any amount between $200 and $1,050 depending on their income and the number of family members.

Around 23 million residents are expected to benefit from the Golden State stimulus check, which incidentally will be the third round of payments given by the Democratic-controlled state since the pandemic.

The plan is to use a part of the record $97 billion budget surplus enjoyed by California and return it directly to taxpayers.

The inflation relief budget package will work out to $17 billion according to data released by Governor Newsom’s office. Under the plan residents earning less and looking after dependents will get a bigger stimulus check.

Individuals earning below $75,000 a year and married couples filing jointly earning $150,000 a year will get a check of $350 per taxpayer and another $350 for at least an extra dependent. Thus a married couple earning below $150,000 and supporting a dependent can expect the maximum stimulus check of $1,050.

Similarly, people who make between $75,000 and $125,000 a year will get $250 each while those earning between $125,000 and $250,000 will get $200 per beneficiary.

The package has also proposed suspending the sales tax levied by the state on diesel and extra funds to help residents of California pay their utility bills and house rent.

Another $200 million has been added for reproductive health services after the digressive ruling by the Supreme Court in the Roe v. Wade case, a landmark ruling dating back to 1973 that had provided the constitutional right to abortion for Americans.

The budget envisaged by the Golden State addresses the most urgent needs of the state and gives priority to getting back money into the pocket of millions of Californians just when they desperately need it.

Millions of Americans are struggling with record inflation that has made it tough for Americans to meet basic expenses for gas, other essentials such as food and utility bill payments, and home rent.

This was revealed in a joint statement by Governor Newson, Anthony Rendon, the Assembly Speaker, and Toni Atkins, the pro tempore Senate President.

They said that the rising economic uncertainty has forced the state to invest in certain values of the state that will further its budget reserves of the state. The Governor said that they have built-in reserves for state spending in the future.

Governor Newsom had initially proposed much smaller inflation relief measures through a $400 gas card for every car registered in the state and transit cards of an undetermined amount for people who do not own cars.

Gas prices are the highest in California, with prices rising to $6.44 earlier this month. The national average price of gasoline in America has slightly eased and stood at $4.9 according to the AAA.

Could These State Checks Lead To Further Rise In Inflation

Economists have in recent months been against any form of stimulus checks in the future. They say that at least part of the blame for the record inflation rate goes to the series of stimulus checks and other relief measures like the enhanced unemployment checks and the extended child tax credit stimulus checks.