CALIFORNIA, USA — Governor Newsom signed the Golden State Stimulus into effect Tuesday, which will give $600 to residents making $30,000 a year or less, but only certain groups of people who receive disability from the state will automatically receive the money.
Charis Hill is disabled and survives mostly off of their SSDI benefits. Hill says the cost of the pandemic has put an additional strain on their bank account
“Cost have gone up for everyone, and disabled people especially, we are hurt by cost like grocery ordering online, buying masks, buying sanitizers extra cleaning supplies,” Hill said.
The California Department of Finance confirms that people like Charis will not automatically receive the stimulus money because SSDI benefits are not given out based on income
“There is a lot of confusion in the disability community, it’s very unclear," Hill said. "Why are SSI recipients automatically included in the stimulus and why is there no mention at all of people receiving SSDI?”
Golden State Opportunity is an organization that helps low-income families receive financial assistance. Spokesperson Amy Everitt says although they normally would not receive assistance if someone is receiving SSDI and has income that is less than $30,000 a year, they can become eligible and receive the Golden State Stimulus if they file their taxes and claim a specific credit.
“Anybody who is eligible for the California Earned Tax Credit, which means you earn less than 30,000 dollars a year whether or not you have a social security number or an individual tax ID number, you qualify and you just need to file your taxes in order to get the stimulus,” Everitt explained.
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