Stimulus check update: Direct payment worth $500 for more than 300 families to be sent in 11 days

California families receiving money from a guaranteed income program will receive their next payment in just 11 days.

The payments from the Pathway to Income Equity pilot program are sent to applicants on the third Wednesday of the month, which for this month is on May 17. The program pays 305 households in Sonoma County $500 once every month, according to the Sonoma County Administrator’s Office.

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“These payments will help families with young children who are often struggling under the double burden of the high costs of housing and child care — typically the two highest household expenses,” said Chris Coursey, chairman of the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors.

“The information we gain from this pilot program will help shape future efforts to improve the health and welfare of our community,” he added.

Sonoma County officials will study what effect this additional monthly income has on reducing poverty and promoting economic mobility for families with young children, according to the administrator’s office.

“We are working with an external evaluator to conduct qualitative research (surveys, interviews, and focus groups) with the participants over the two years,” Angie Dillon-Shore, director of the nonprofit organization First 5 Sonoma County, told the Washington Examiner.

“The preliminary findings of the first year will be available in spring 2024, and then a final evaluation report after the pilot concludes in early 2025,” she added.

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The 305 recipients were selected out of 6,450 applications last year. To be eligible, applicants had to have at least one child under age 6, be affected in some way by the coronavirus pandemic, and have a household income of no more than 185% above the federal poverty level.

The final payment for this program will be issued to recipients in December 2024.

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