Story at a glance
- Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker (R) announced Tuesday the state will begin distributing $500 payments to 500,000 low-income workers.
- “This program will support those workers who served our communities, especially early in the pandemic,” Gov. Charlie Baker (R) said.
- Individuals who received unemployment in 2020 will not be eligible for the first round of payments.
Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker (R) announced Tuesday the state will begin distributing $500 payments to 500,000 low-income workers.
The payments are part of the COVID-19 Essential Employee Premium Pay program included in a $4 billion spending package Baker signed in December using federal American Rescue Plan Act funding.
“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,” Baker said in a statement.
“This program will support those workers who served our communities, especially early in the pandemic,” he added.
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Individuals will be eligible if their income, based on 2020 tax filings, was at least $12,750 and their total income left them below 300% of the federal poverty level. A single filer with no dependents could earn up to $38,280 and be eligible for the payment.
Meanwhile, a Massachusetts resident who files with a spouse and two dependents, or without a spouse and three dependents, could earn up to $78,600 while maintaining eligibility for the payment.
Individuals who received unemployment in 2020 will not be eligible for the first round of payments beginning in March.
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