Rising inflation is putting pressure on American families trying to meet their needs. In the absence of federal help, Florida’s Governor Ron DeSantis is sending surprise stimulus checks to some families in the state. Many families who heard about this surprise stimulus check from Florida initially took it as a scam. Only after the official announcement on social media and other platforms did it become clear that this one-time payment is real.
Q2 2022 hedge fund letters, conferences and more
Surprise Stimulus Check From Florida: What Is It?
Last week, Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis announced that $35.5 million in DeSantis' budget will go toward supporting about 59,000 families. The money will be used to send eligible families a one-time surprise stimulus check from Florida of $450.
After Casey’s announcement, Gov. Ron DeSantis' press secretary Christina Pushaw tweeted about the surprise stimulus check on Tuesday.
"Florida families: These letters are real," the tweet reads.
Also, the tweet carried a picture of the letter accompanying the one-time $450 stimulus check.
Florida families: These letters are real. These one-time payments of $450 per child are part of @GovRonDeSantis new budget. Please see the press release from First Lady @CaseyDeSantis roundtable on Hope Florida - A Pathway to Prosperity last week! https://t.co/wl3Uaz40vH pic.twitter.com/uAqI2Jxqo2
— Christina Pushaw ? ?? (@ChristinaPushaw) July 19, 2022
"Please accept this payment as a form of gratitude and acknowledgment for all that you do to help nurture Florida's future," the letter says, adding that recipients can use the money on anything, including “buying diapers to fueling up at the pump."
Foster families, adoptive families, and single mothers will qualify for the stimulus payment. Also, these surprise stimulus checks from Florida are part of the “Hope Florida — A Pathway to Prosperity” initiative. This initiative is being led by Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis, and it aims to help foster and adoptive families in the state.
However, it isn’t exactly clear how families will get the money and other eligibility requirements. The Florida Department of Children and Families is administering the program.
For more information on the program, Floridians can call the Hope Line at 850-300-HOPE, or visit HopeFlorida.com.
Will It Add To Inflation?
Though the objective of this stimulus payment is to help families offset some of the impacts of inflation, many argue that handing out more money would add to inflation.
Responding to such accusations, Pushaw suggested that the federal government’s deficit spending is responsible for inflation, and the federal stimulus checks contributed to the deficit.
“By contrast, the budget surplus in Florida is at the state level and it’s already money in existence, we do not print money here. So- no, it doesn’t cause inflation,” Pushaw said in a tweet.
This is not the first stimulus check approved by Florida Governor DeSantis this year. In April, DeSantis approved a one-time $1,000 stimulus check for first responders, including firefighters, paramedics, emergency medical technicians, and law and enforcement agents.
Apart from this stimulus check, Florida residents can also benefit from the ongoing "Back-to-School" sales-tax holiday coming up soon. Under the program, school supplies, including clothes and computers, will be tax free from July 25 to August 7. Also, the state recently approved a plan to end the state’s 26.5 cents per gallon gas tax this October.
