4th stimulus check update 2023 — Americans can apply for $7,500 direct payment from $1.3m settlement

FORMER students of Marymount Manhattan College in New York may qualify for thousands of dollars in payouts after the school failed to protect its community from online attacks.

The private college in New York City recently settled a lawsuit for $1.3million after not doing enough to prevent a cyber hack of its student information, resulting in sensitive information – like social security numbers – getting leaked in November 2021.

Now affected students can get up to $750 as reimbursement for documented costs and lost time associated with the breach.

And those who had funds stolen due to the breach can claim up to $7,500.

In order to qualify, students must have received an email from Marymount admitting that their information had been compromised due to the data breach in November 2021.

Recipients have until August 15 to file a claim. Potential recipients can learn more and file their claims here.

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Karla Dennis, an enrolled tax agent that’s licensed in all 50 states, urges residents to find out if their state is offering rebates.

Dennis recommends individuals do an online search with their state.

“I would type in tax stimulus in my state,” she said.

For example, “tax stimulus, California rebate [or] New York, I would definitely Google search it like that.”

Dennis added it’s also worth checking your state’s Department of Revenue website to see if anything is being offered.

Frontline farm and food workers who braved the pandemic are now eligible for $600 relief payments.

The Delaware Department of Agriculture has been working with Pasa Sustainable Agriculture to provide one-time relief payments to farmhands and meatpacking workers who labored during the pandemic.

Recipients must prove they were employed in meatpacking or farmwork between January 27, 2020, and the end of the COVID-19 emergency declaration on April 11, 2023.

In addition to Delaware, 13 other states and territories are offering the payment:

Governor Kate Hobb’s office confirmed earlier this month that it will send a one-time childcare payment.

The amount is worth $500 per child and aims to help eligible Arizona families cover registration fees.

This will apply to children that are involved with the Department of Child Safety participating in the Subsidized Child Care Program.

The payments will start this summer.

“DCS caseworkers and staff will guide eligible families through the next steps in receiving payment,” the Governor’s office said.

A state program in Rhode Island is offering residents up to $2,500 for purchasing an electric vehicle.

Eligible drivers can get up to $2,500 for a new fully electric vehicle and $1,500 for a used one.

Those who purchase a plug-in hybrid can get $1,500 for a new vehicle, and $750 for a used car.

The program launched in July and has already given $1.25million to residents.

Applications are still open online, but rebates will be made on a first-come, first-served basis, and are dependent on funding availability.

Oregon will also suspend rebates for purchasing or leasing an EV for one year starting in May, according to Associated Press.

Drivers in states with active electric car incentives still have to wrestle with this year’s newly-introduced regulations.

Only six pure EVs qualify for a full tax credit in 2023.

Drivers can receive full credit by purchasing a new Cadillac Lyriq, Chevrolet Bolt, Chevrolet Bolt EUV, Ford F-150 Lightning, Tesla Model 3 Performance, or Tesla Model Y.

The overall household financial health for the majority of Americans has deteriorated over the span of two years.

In the final quarter of 2022, Americans had, on average, saved only four percent of their disposable income.

That is a far cry from the 14 percent Americans on average saved the two years prior.

Household debt also grew by 16 percent to $16.9trillion, and poverty rates hit their highest levels since 2018 in 2021, Forbes reported.

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro has recently proposed increasing the property tax rent rebate up to $1,000 by using money from the state’s $11billion reserve cash.

This would boost rebates for seniors, who usually earn up to $650 in either property tax or rent relief.

Under Shapiro’s proposal, the maximum rebate amount would increase from $450 to $1,000.

Additionally, the income cap to receive the payment would increase to $45,000 for both renters and homeowners.

Additionally, the tax package includes expanding the state’s Child Tax Credit to up to $600 per kid.

The exact amount will vary depending on income.

Before the new law, the tax credit was worth $175 per child if family income was less than $25,000 per year.

“Expanding the Child Tax Credit will help over 200,000 New Mexico families and broaden our successful effort to reduce child poverty rates, which dropped by a full percentage point between 2019 and 2021,” Grisham said in a statement following signing the tax measures into law.

Meanwhile, New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham has approved a state-wide rebate program, which is part of a big tax relief package.

To be eligible, you must be over the age of 18 and not be claimed as a dependent on taxes.

More than 900,000 taxpayers are in line to receive a payment, according to the Governor’s office.

The rebate distribution process started in June, according to Grisham.

Additionally, the tax package includes expanding the state’s Child Tax Credit to up to $600 per kid.

The exact amount will vary depending on income.

Before the new law, the tax credit was worth $175 per child if family income was less than $25,000 per year.

“Expanding the Child Tax Credit will help over 200,000 New Mexico families and broaden our successful effort to reduce child poverty rates, which dropped by a full percentage point between 2019 and 2021,” Grisham said in a statement following signing the tax measures into law.

Meanwhile, New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham has approved a state-wide rebate program, which is part of a big tax relief package.

To be eligible, you must be over the age of 18 and not be claimed as a dependent on taxes.

More than 900,000 taxpayers are in line to receive a payment, according to the Governor’s office.

The rebate distribution process started in June, according to Grisham.

Duke Energy Florida announced that customers can qualify for rebates up to $1,700 for upgrades to their home’s energy efficiency.

To qualify for the rebates, Duke Energy Florida customers must take a free Home Energy Check.

The check will generate a report detailing what improvements the customer’s home needs.

Once the customer makes the recommended improvements they may be eligible for a number of different rebates.

Customers can learn more about the program here.

The assessment is also currently available online.

You should contact your state directly to find out more information and how to apply.

For help applying for LIHEAP benefits, you may also call this toll-free number: 1-866-674-6327.

Be aware that even if you qualify for the program, you’re not guaranteed to get help.

This is because it depends on how much funding is available for the year.

LIHEAP provides financial help to eligible families for their energy bills.

This includes heating and cooling costs, bill payment support, energy crisis assistance as well as energy-related home repairs.

The grants range from $200 to $1,000 each year and are issued via states, which receive funding from the Department of Health and Human Services.

Plenty of states only give out the grants once a year, while others let you apply three times a year.

Claimants of other federal benefit programs, such as SNAP, SSI, and TANF, may also automatically qualify for support.

The Ann Arbor City Council in Michigan introduced a new guaranteed income program.

The program will offer monthly payments of $528 to 100 residents.

There are no restrictions on how the money can be spent.

To launch the program, the city is partnering with the University of Michigan.

“Guaranteed income programs are flourishing across our country, and they are proving to be an impactful tool to combat generational poverty, Mayor Christopher Taylor said in a statement.

“By partnering with the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor will increase our understanding of the effectiveness of these programs, and — crucially — serve members of our community who are in need.”

In Colorado, the Property Tax/Rent/Heat (PTC) rebate will be supporting people with disabilities alongside older adults as they pay property taxes, rent, and heating bills.

The total amount available is up to $1,044, and if you apply in 2023, you’ll earn up to a $1,000 refundable tax credit.

The state anticipates the program to provide more than $7million in relief to Coloradans in 2023 alone.

To qualify, you must be a full-year Colorado resident meeting a certain set of criteria.Either you must be 65 years of age or older, have a surviving spouse 58 years of age or older, or have a disability.

There are income stipulations as well. For single filers, income is capped at $16,925 while those married filing jointly can make up to $22,858 to qualify.

The Montana Department of Revenue will also be offering tax rebates under House Bill 192.

Governor Greg Gianforte said the payments will be available based on taxes paid in 2021.

“Today, we’re making it easier for Montanans to raise a family, to earn a good living, to own a home, to retire comfortably, and achieve their American dream,” Gianforte said.

The individual income tax rebate is $1,250 for individual filers, while married couples filing jointly can receive $2,500.

Washington residents will also see some cash back on their taxes.

The Department of Revenue in the state is holding onto unclaimed money and property belonging to more than one million residents.

The average claim is roughly $131, according to Joe Gisler, manager of Unclaimed Property.

The money is coming from a surplus of $1.8billion.

Cambridge, Massachusetts just kicked off its program that’s offering $500 per month for a year and a half.

To be eligible, you must live in Cambridge and have at least one child who is 21 years of age or younger.

Additionally, applicants must be 18 years or older.Moreover, households must have income that’s 250 percent below the federal poverty level, which is as follows based on family size.

Roughly 2,000 families are eligible, according to the city – but applications must be submitted online by July 31.

Some Americans could still be owed stimulus checks anywhere between $600 and $1,400.

The tax deadline officially passed on April 18, but you can still file previous years’ returns and claim past owed money.

Qualifying Americans can grab the maximum under the latest stimulus round as long as their income is $75,000 and below, or $150,000 for couples.

Past those thresholds, the $1,400 check starts to phase out and then capped at $80,000 and $160,000 respectively.

The requirements are similar for the other two rounds – but the phase-out rules are different. To be eligible for any money under the first round worth $1,200, your income must have been under $99,000 and $198,000 respectively.

The Government Accountability Office estimates there are between nine million and 10million Americans still owed stimulus checks.

Americans in 2022 should have gotten up to two important letters regarding stimulus and child tax credit payments made in the previous year.

Letter 6475, relating to stimulus payments, helps determine whether or not you can claim the recovery rebate credit on your 2021 tax return. The letter also details how to claim the money when you file.

If you haven’t received a letter or threw it away by mistake, there are other ways you can check and see how much stimulus money you got.

You can check your bank statements and see how much has been deposited or you can sign into your online account and click on the “economic impact payment information” section on the tax records page.

Plus, parents can use the IRS’ child tax credit portal to view payments on their online accounts.

To claim past stimulus money, you need to file a 2020 and/or 2021 tax return.

Kansas Governor Laura Kelly has announced a proposal that would lead to a tax rebate of $450 for individuals and $900 for married taxpayers filing jointly.

The funds for the program would come from the state’s budget surplus this year and would total $800 million

Alongside the proposed payments, Kelly has vetoed a tax plan that would have introduced a flat 5.15 percent income tax rate.

The proposed rate change would have benefitted mostly wealthy Kansans and would have reduced state revenue by about $330 million annually.

Molson Coors is paying consumers back after it was accused of mislabeling their drinks in a way the plaintiff called “misleading and dangerous.”

The company, who also makes alcoholic drinks like Miller Light and Blue Moon, was slapped with a lawsuit due to its line of Vizzy products.

Vizzy hard seltzer drinks claimed the liquid was “fortified” with vitamin C from a superfruit.

The lawsuit alleged that Vizzy did not contain enough vitamin C to warrant the branding.

Molson Coors did not admit any wrongdoing but did agree to a $9.5million settlement.

Claimants can expect a minimum payout of $6 and a maximum of $15.

As part of Colorado’s Air Quality Improvement Investments Act, the state has set aside $12million for electric bike rebates.

The Colorado Energy Office (CEO) announced that starting mid-August the state will collect applications for rebates, and then randomly select 1,000 winners.

This process will be repeated every month.

Only those with low to moderate income will qualify.

The city of Columbus, Ohio is investing $250,000 in rebates for e-bike purchases from local bicycle shops.

All residents with annual incomes up to $150,000 are eligible for the payments.

While the program is a push toward greater sustainability, some residents have criticized the city’s lack of bike safety.

“If we don’t have the necessary, safe bike infrastructure across the city for folks, then the program is going to be a lot less effective than it can be,” Trevin Flickinger told Planetizen.