Exact Date $500 in new monthly Direct Payments starts paying out to thousands of Americans this week – see if you qualify

NEW $500 monthly direct payments begin this week to thousands of Americans.

A total of 3,250 residents who qualify for the city’s guaranteed income program will receive checks, with the first coming Dec. 15.

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Cook County, Illinois will issue payments to program participants over the next two years.

To qualify, you must be at or below 250 percent of the federal poverty line.

That’s $33,975 for a single person, $45,775 for couples, and $69,375 for a family of four.

Most importantly, you must apply by October 21st.

Cook County chief executive Toni Preckwinkle told WTTW she hopes the program will last.

“We have allocated resources to continue the program after the pilot, so this will be an ongoing initiative from the Cook County government,” she said.

“We have provided cannabis revenue to support the program and will be looking at other revenue streams as well.”

Jasper Cannon and his wife Leneara Turner are homeless, they said WTTW.

However, they are about to receive their first $500 check, which they hope will be life-changing.

“We have three children. So this money is meant to help because I really need it to save up so one day I can get a house and get us out of the shelter,” Cannon said.

“But before I do that, my biggest concern is getting a steady job.

“These days most of the jobs they offer you are really not stable, are they?

“It’s a temporary or seasonal job, but when you get a job, they don’t pay you enough to live in your town and keep the rent up.

“So this is a big help for us and my family.”

Contestant Clarence Shaffer had to quit his job as a bodyguard to care for his 87-year-old mother.

“This program could take away a lot of the worry and stress for me because it allows me to keep some of the things that I would need to think about changing,” Shaffer said.

“You can assign it the same thing every month or change it up, whatever you want to do, the fact is you know you’re getting that.

“It’s $12,000 over two years, so it’s a big deal.”

Another recipient, Christopher Santiago, has three children and is a transit worker.

He looks forward to the flexibility the program will give him.

“Other benefit programs like SNAP or something, they have all these limitations, so you can’t even buy hot meals with some of these programs,” he said.

“So having direct cash just gives me the freedom.

“For example, if I have a flat tire or something, I don’t have to worry that it’s an appropriate expense or that I don’t even have to keep track of those expenses, I can just take care of whatever needs to be done must, and go from there.”

Other UBI programs

Aside from Cook County, a few other locations are sending UBI payments either now or in the coming weeks.

That includes Denver, Colorado, which last week began sending multiple batches of payments to hundreds of residents.

For example, 260 people receive $6,500 upfront, followed by $500 in monthly payments for 11 months.

Another tranche goes to 260 people who will receive $1,000 per month for a year.

And the last batch of 300 gets $50 a month for a year.

The payments aim to help people affected by housing insecurity.

Officials in Coachella, Calif., have launched an income program that will give 140 families $400 a month for two years.

Upon acceptance, participants can choose to have the funds deposited monthly into their checking account or loaded onto a prepaid card that they receive in the mail.

The application deadline for this program is Friday, November 11th.

Eligible families will receive support from January 2023.

A new group of low-income residents in Rochester, New York, are also eligible for payments.

In early 2023, another 175 people will receive $500 in monthly payments.

Alexandria, Virginia will also begin paying the first $500 monthly checks to 170 residents in the last week of January 2023.