MORE than 25,000 Americans can claim a $500 payment ahead of Christmas – but it must be done ahead of the deadline.
The Chicago Resiliency Fund 2.0 aims to those living in poverty and residents that had trouble qualifying for stimulus checks and other relief in 2020.
A direct payment worth $500 is available thanks to the city using $14.68million awarded from the American Rescue Plan Act.
The program is being administered by the Heartland Human Care Services, a nonprofit organization that was contracted by the City of Chicago Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS)
Eligibility and how to apply
To qualify for the money, you must live in Chicago and be at least 18 years old.
There are also income requirements based on taxes filed in 2019, which must have included a dependent that’s at least 17 years of age or older.
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Earnings must be 300 percent of the federal poverty level, which is as follows based on your household size.
- Household of one: $40,770
- Household of two: $54,930
- Household of three: $69,090
- Household of four: $83,250
- Household of five: $97,410
- Household of six: $111,570
- Household of seven: $125,730
- Household of eight: $139,890
For each person over eight, officials said to add another $4,720.
Those who meet the requirements can apply online up until Friday, December 9 at 5 pm.
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If you need assistance, you can email help@crf2dependents.aidkit.org or 312-460-2564.
Once you submit your application, it will go through a lottery process.
Up to 25,500 residents are eligible, according to officials.
When will you be notified of the selection?
Officials said you can expect to hear back as “early as [one week]” after submitting your application.
Payments will be administered no later than December 2023.
The Sun reached out to a program official for comment to get more of a concrete timetable.
Other ways you can claim money
If you don’t qualify for this program because you don’t reside in Chicago, there are some other cash assistance programs across the country you may qualify for.
Next week, the City of Boise’s Property Tax Rebate Program worth up to $1,000 is set to launch.
To be eligible, you must meet the requirements for the state's Circuit Breaker Program.
This includes the following:
- Idaho resident
- Value of home less than $800,000
- Total income after deducing medical expenses is no more than $32,230
You have to also meet one of the requirements: 65 years of age or older, a former prisoner of war (POW) or hostage, blind, widow or widower, or have a disability.
Those who were approved for the Circuit Breaker Program in April will get a letter in the mail in December with an application.
There is also a universal basic income program that will require action in San Francisco, California.
Select groups including transgender residents can apply for $1,200 in monthly payments that will last a year and a half.
To qualify, you must be earning less than $600 per month.
The deadline to apply is Thursday, December 15.
Delaware has been sending out one-time rebates of $300 to residents since this summer.
This applies to those who filed their 2020 and 2021 Delaware resident personal income taxes on time.
But there is also an option to apply online – but it must be done by Wednesday, November 30.
So far, the state has sent out 780,000 checks in the fall and summer.
Eligible residents must be 18 years of age or older and lived in the state on December 31, 2021.
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For more on how you can claim cash, here are 11 states offering tax rebates this year.
And see the full list of cities and states across the country that are offering monthly payments.
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