Cash assistance helps families with children reduce household expenses and maintain affordable, stable housing. According to recent studies, the average cost of raising a child from birth to 17 is $233,610, with the most significant expenses including housing, food, education, and healthcare. This has left many families struggling to find relief.
Fortunately, several cash assistance programs and other forms of financial relief can help lift some of the financial burdens from families just like yours. This guide is here to help you take a closer look at the assistance you might qualify for.
Stimulus checks are often a part of financial assistance programs provided by the U.S. government to stimulate the economy and provide Americans with financial relief in times of hardship. These checks have been distributed several times in our history, including in 2008’s severe recession and most notably during the pandemic.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, three rounds of stimulus checks were set out to qualifying Americans in the amounts of $1,200, $600, and $1,400, respectively, with married couples receiving double the amount. Additionally, families with children received an additional $1,400 for each dependent and an expanded Child Tax Credit of $3,600 per child under age six and $3,000 for children six and older.
However, families and individuals who made too much money received deductions from these amounts. The cash assistance was severely needed across the nation, and many families awaited news of a stimulus update frequently.
Stimulus payments were delivered by check, IRS debit card, or direct deposit. The IRS debit card, the Economic Impact Payment (EIP) card, could be used like any standard debit card. However, families that did not file taxes did not always automatically receive these payments.
But what happens if you didn’t get these payments? There are many reasons that your family may not have received your stimulus, including:
- If your address changed
- If the banking information that you used to file your taxes changed
- If you did not file taxes in recent years
If you never received your first or second stimulus checks, it’s too late to claim them. However, if you didn’t receive the third payment (issued in 2021) and you are searching for a stimulus update, the last day to file a claim for it is on Tax Day in 2025.
By filing the 2021 tax return late, you may be able to claim the payments as a rebate. However, you must meet the qualifications for the 2021 stimulus check and file a tax return, even if you don’t normally file and have little or no income.
By Admin –
