Good NestingSome cash from a stimulus check and food assistance to feed your family. We’ll discuss how both can save the day with new orders signed by President Biden.
You may have gotten financially back on your feet after COVID-19, only to lose income to another shutdown. Or, if you’re not as lucky, you may have lost your job altogether.
Yes, the coronavirus offers two threats to people worldwide: The first is with their health, and the second is with their finances. While masking, social distancing, and washing your hands can increase your chances of staying healthy during the pandemic, keeping your finances in order can be a bit trickier.
If you’re like most, you’ve needed a helping hand during these trying times. Luckily, President Biden recently signed some orders that can provide that much-needed help, and they focus on stimulus checks and food assistance.
The Acceleration of $600 Stimulus Payments
You may have missed it amongst all of the news regarding Biden taking office, but Congress recently approved $600 stimulus payments to those falling within certain income limits.
Some have received these checks, while others are still wondering where their payments are. If you fall in the second group, you’ll be glad to know that Biden approved an order to streamline the stimulus checks’ delivery. In other words, if you haven’t received yours yet, keep your eyes open, as your payment should be on the way.
How far can $600 go in a pandemic where working can be tougher than usual? Not very far, which is why it’s great to know that Biden is pushing for higher payments that would reach $2,000. If Congress passes such legislation, you could get $1,400 on top of the $600 you’re already owed.
The Increase of Food Assistance Benefits
You may be used to putting your own food on the table for all of these years. Once you lost your job or saw your income decrease due to COVID-19, however, you probably saw the need for some help, which is what food stamps or SNAP can provide.
To make it easier for people to feed their families, President Biden asked the U.S. Department of Agriculture to boost its food stamp funding to states by 15 percent. Congress recently made a similar move to increase SNAP’s max benefit by 15 percent, but that excluded 40 percent of current food stamp recipients. Under Biden’s new order, 12 million extra people could get food assistance.
The news of higher food stamp funding was certainly welcome, but so was the increase of Pandemic-EBT benefits. This program offers electronic debit cards to students who normally get reduced-price or free meals. To help with the added burden of food costs to parents during the coronavirus pandemic, Biden pledged to increase Pandemic-EBT funds by 15 percent, while also making it easier to be eligible for those benefits. This move towards greater accessibility and funding could put an extra 100 bucks in the pockets of families with three kids.
Is Pandemic-EBT the only food program that will become more accessible to families in need? No, as Biden also said that food stamps should change their eligibility requirements to be more inclusive.
Luigi Dacumos
