American citizens, experiencing financial hardship over the pandemic, have been starved for good news about when they will receive at least some compensation. And their impatience is showing at all the delays.
Though she has kept her job as an executive assistant throughout the pandemic, Marie, who asked to be identified by her middle name to protect her privacy, says her budget has still been stretched thin.
The mother-of-two’s employer reduced her salary by 15%, she no longer picks up extra income as a part-time Uber driver due to safety concerns, and she had to pay for her son’s daycare to keep his spot despite the fact that he was at home with her at the beginning of the pandemic. She’s accrued around $4,000 in debt over the course of the pandemic and is currently two months late on daycare payments.
Now, with the news that Congress is considering lowering the income eligibility threshold for the third round of stimulus payments from $75,000 to $50,000 for individuals and from $150,000 for married couples to $100,000, Marie’s money worries are compounding. She is “terrified” that she will no longer qualify because she earned around $60,000 in 2019. (The Washington Post reported that heads of household earning up to $75,000 would still qualify for the full $1,400 payments under the new thresholds.)
She is one of dozens of people who reached out to express frustration about the possible change to eligibility for the $1,400 payment. Many, like Marie, say Democrats would be reneging on their campaign promise to provide $2,000 in direct relief payments to struggling Americans if they send them to fewer people.
If Congress is going to change eligibility, some believe they should base the payments on 2020 income. (At the moment, it’s not clear what year Congress will base the payments on. The first two used 2019 income, but those who would have qualified based on 2020 can claim a credit on their upcoming tax returns.)
Democrats are reportedly "splintered" over whether to lower the income eligibility thresholds, according to The Washington Post. More moderate lawmakers like West Virginia Democratic Senator Joe Manchin argue lowering the income limits would prevent wealthy families from getting money they don’t need. But other Democrats say that a $50,000 limit for individuals and $100,000 for couples is too low and would exclude many households that desperately need the money.
Related Stories
