Pennsylvania Stimulus Checks: Gov. Wolf Plans To Send $2,000 To Tackle Cost Of Living Crisis

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Record high inflation, primarily due to rising gas prices, has prompted many states to come up with financial help, including Pennsylvania. Governor Tom Wolf plans to offer financial support to residents to help mitigate the cost-of-living crisis. For this, Wolf has proposed sending Pennsylvania stimulus checks of $2,000 to millions of residents. Wolf plans to use the money that the state got from the American Rescue Plan to send the stimulus checks.

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Pennsylvania Stimulus Checks: Who Will Get Them?

Governor Wolf recently proposed sending $2,000 Pennsylvania stimulus checks using the $500 million funding from the American Rescue Plan, which was approved in March last year.  The Pennsylvania stimulus checks would go to individuals with an income of $80,000 or less.

“The cost of everything from gas to groceries is rising, and for Pennsylvanians living paycheck to paycheck that can mean painful decisions,” Wolf said last week.

Along with sending Pennsylvania stimulus checks, Wolf’s proposed $1.7 billion package also includes $225 million in funding for small businesses and over $300 million for the state’s healthcare system.

About $2 billion of the funding that the state got from the American Rescue Plan hasn’t been committed. If the funding isn’t committed by December 2024, then it will go back to the federal government. As of now, there is no information on when the General Assembly will approve Wolf’s plan.

Other States Offering Similar Relief

Several other states are giving or working on providing direct relief to residents because of the rising gas prices. Connecticut, for instance, has passed a bill to eliminate state gasoline taxes. The suspension of state gasoline taxes will be in effect through June 30. Additionally, the state has eliminated fares on public buses during the same period as well.

Similarly, Georgia has suspended gasoline taxes through May 31. Though not many details are out on the suspension of gasoline taxes, Gov. Kemp, in a tweet last month, said that “the suspension of the 29.1 cent tax on motor fuel and 32.6 cent tax on diesel will make its way to the consumer.”

Maryland has suspended state taxes as well, but the suspension is only through April 18.

Many states are also offering direct payments or checks to residents to help them offset the rising prices. Idaho, for instance, will send a check of $75 or 12% of the taxes paid by the individuals to the state in 2020, whichever is higher.

New Mexico also recently passed a bill to send $500 to single tax filers and $1,000 to joint filers. The payment will automatically go out to the eligible taxpayers in July and August.

“SIGNED: Economic relief for New Mexicans, easing the burden of high national prices by putting hundreds of millions of dollars in New Mexicans' pockets and protecting their paycheck,” Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham tweeted last week.

Indiana is also sending a $125 stimulus check, and those who haven’t yet received the payment are likely to get it before May 1.