Congress passed a $2.2 trillion stimulus package today, which includes direct payments to eligible citizens.
- Single Americans who make less than $75,000 a year are eligible for a one-time direct payment of $1,200.
- Americans who are married and make less than $150,000 a year are eligible for a one-time direct payment of $2,400.
- If you have children under the age of 16, you are also eligible to receive $500 per child.
The payments are being based on the total income claimed on your 2018 or 2019 tax return.
These payments go down incrementally as income increases—above the income figures, the payment decreases until it stops altogether for single people earning $99,000 and married couples earning $198,000 with no children. A family with two children would not be eligible for this payment if their income exceeds $218,000. If someone can claim you as a dependent, you are not eligible.
You do not need to take any steps to receive this payment. If you are eligible, the payment will be deposited directly into your bank account (if you gave the IRS your bank account information on your tax return) or a check will be sent to your residence. The Treasury Secretary anticipates people will receive their payments within three weeks.
You can use this calculator to see if you are eligible.
Supplemental Funding for SIHB
SIHB’s Government Affairs team continues to advocate for supplemental funding for Seattle Indian Health Board.
- As a result of our joint advocacy with national Tribal and urban Indian organizations, we have secured about $1.2 billion for the Indian health care system in the latest COVID-19 stimulus bill.
- In the coming weeks, we will be working with five federal agencies to ask that a portion of these funds go to directly to Urban Indian Health Programs. Funding will be used to support behavioral health, epidemiology and surveillance, direct health care services, and more.
- We are still working on accessing our portion of an additional $214 million that has already been set aside for the Indian health care system in the first two pieces of COVID-19 legislation. We stand with our tribal partners and continue to ask that these funds reach our clinics and our communities as soon as possible.