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Stimulus Checks: Thousands of Americans Can Claim $500 Payment Today

St. Louis citizens can get aid from their local government in the form of stimulus checks.

The assistance is part of St. Louis’ direct cash program. It is designed for those people who have “suffered a financial impact from the coronavirus pandemic.”

Applications on the city’s official website are now open. Although walk-ins are not encouraged, citizens can register for an in-person appointment by calling 866-948-3742. The appointments will be taking place at St. Louis Community College in Forest Park from 10 am to 5 pm. The appointments will take roughly 30 minutes to complete.

Mayor Jones enacted the first round of the American Rescue Plan funding back in August 2021. According to the website, it is “directing $135 million to improve public health and public safety infrastructure while providing economic relief to residents.” Overall it will help at least 9,300 residents. Four months later, and citizens will get $500 stimulus checks.

For those who are unhoused, they can work with a homeless service provider that has access to the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) database. They will then submit the application on your behalf. For those people who are undocumented, you can complete the application through a 501(c)3 non-governmental agency.

Those who qualify will receive the funds through the MoCaFi Immediate Response Cards.  For those who select the mail route, you will get a Debit Mastercard in 10-15 days from the approval. For those who chose electronically, you will receive the funds in 24-48 hours through a text message with instructions.

Stimulus Checks and Eligibility

Firstly, people need to prove that they live within the city to be eligible. Visit this website if you need to check if you’re within city limits. This is for those who have lived within the city limits for at least a year.

The stimulus checks are for those who are at or below 80 percent of the area’s median income. For a house of one person, this is $50,000, and for two people, it is $54,350. For four people, this is $67,900, and a family of eight is $89,650.

Applicants then have to prove that they indeed have lost income during the COVID-19 pandemic. They can do this by proving that they have either: lost a job, cut work hours, funeral expenses, or health treatment costs.

In terms of documents, you must present a valid state ID or Driver’s License indicating St. Louis City residency. Along with this, you need a document to show that you still reside in the city and were at least a year ago. You also have to provide two documents listed on the official stimulus check website.

It is important to note that only one person per household is eligible to receive the payment.