latest
500,000 Massachusetts residents to receive $500 this month from Baker plan
The Baker-Polito Administration announced last month plans to begin distribution of $500 payments to 500,000 low-income workers as part of the COVID-19 Essential Employee Premium Pay program. These payments represent the first round of funds to be distributed as part of the $460 million program, which was enacted in December when Governor Baker signed a $4 billion spending plan for American Rescue Plan Act funds, also known as ARPA. These payments, worth $250 million, will be mailed to 500,000 people by the end of March.
“I was pleased to sign the COVID-19 Essential Employee Premium Pay program into law in December, and our Administration has worked quickly to design the parameters for the program with plans to efficiently begin distribution of these payments by the end of March,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “This program will support those workers who served our communities, especially early in the pandemic.”
“This first round of payments to low-income workers will provide meaningful support for individuals who continued to work despite the global pandemic,” said Lt. Governor Karyn Polito. “We are pleased that our Administration has been able to quickly design this program to get funds out the door to those workers who the program is intended to support.”
Based on filed 2020 Massachusetts tax returns, individuals will be eligible for payments if their income from employment was at least $12,750 and their total income put them below 300% of the federal poverty level.
The lower bound of this range equates to working 20 hours a week for 50 weeks at minimum wage as of 2020 ($12.75). The federal poverty level is set by the federal government and increases with household or family size. For example, the maximum total income for a single filer with no dependents will be $38,280; a resident who files with a spouse and two dependents, or with no spouse and three dependents, could be eligible with a household income up to $78,600. Married filers can each be eligible, provided each independently qualifies. Based on these parameters, the below chart indicates eligibility for these payments by household size:
Household / Family Size
2020 Total Income @ 300% of FPL
1
$38,280
2
$51,720
3
$65,160
4
$78,600
5
$92,040
6
$105,480
7
$118,920
8
$132,360
Individuals who received unemployment compensation in 2020 will not be eligible for the first round of payments, nor will Commonwealth executive branch employees who received or will receive a one-time payment from the state as their employer.
The legislation creating the Premium Pay program included $500 million for low-income essential workers; this $460 million program comprises the majority of those funds, and $40 million was allocated to fund previous agreements with state employee unions. Additional information on plans to disburse subsequent rounds of funds after March will be released in the future.
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Lost soul
March 6, 2022 at 7:57 pm
More money thrown out too be spent frivolously on drugs and other meaningless junk. Billions wasted use the large sums of money to make large changes not dwindle it down too scraps for the uninitiated.
Dayle Lic
March 6, 2022 at 7:59 pm
screw you Baker! What about all the others who worked during the pandemic so your government body could stay home! I am retired and STILL worked despite the money I have in the bank. Keep giving it away and no one will want to work!
Brian J Donovan
March 6, 2022 at 8:46 pm
Why can’t anyone think of the disabled I’m not taking away from anyone I’m happy that the people under the poverty level we don’t get alot we get 150. More than what. The governor has given them it just seems we don’t get think of? I’m glad 500. Is going to whom ever very happy for them but Mr governor no one thinks about the disabled why doesn’t that ever happen.need a answer please do I can tell some of the other disabled friends who are living in a hotel or their cars or where ever. No one gives a rats a** about us
billy
March 7, 2022 at 7:31 am
I care about you . I wish I could help.
It really makes no sense to give it to people who were working. What about people like you, or with zero income? That $500 will make no difference in any ones life. If these Democrats want to help people then make that a guaranteed recurring payment that can only be used on food and housing.
Murphy
March 7, 2022 at 11:44 am
That would be socialism next step Communism. Just stop encouraging a lack of work ethic.
Joe
March 6, 2022 at 9:13 pm
Baker is a clown. Pretends to be the peoples friend and you can see it in his face he is a bs clown. If we dig deep im sure he got a piece of this pie no doubt about it. In a comment above all this does is give drug users 500 bucks. Wear a mask baker your breath smells. He dont tell you he has cops outside his house year round at a cost of 500k a year in overtime to watch over his precious scum
Susan Pautsch
March 7, 2022 at 11:38 am
Yeah he is a greety demon rat just like the rest of them all about themselves what is wrong with our government we really need to rid our world of them.thats one of the reasons homeless are living under bridges and such you really should be ashamed your talking about helping the workers I’m understanding of this but what about the thousands that are homeless,and have nothing because town cant take some of these buildings in our town and refurbish them and get the real poor people out of the freezing cold and hand them 500.00 for food or necessities. You are not so smart greety too at that.
Raylan125
March 8, 2022 at 9:11 am
Perhaps that jack*** shouldn’t have shut down the whole economy over a hoax, then they could use that money to fix roads and bridges.