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Maine is providing financial assistance to its residents through a series of stimulus payments and other relief measures. The state’s supplemental budget for fiscal year 2022–2023 includes direct payments of $850 to individuals and $1,700 to joint filers. These payments are intended to help cover necessities like groceries, gas, and utilities, but residents can use the funds for any purpose they choose, according to the Office of Governor Janet T. Mills on November 1, 2022.
To be eligible for the stimulus payment, individuals must have filed a Maine individual income tax return as a full-time resident by October 31, 2022, cannot be claimed as a dependent on another resident’s tax return, and have a federal adjusted gross income of less than $100,000 for single or married filers filing separately, $150,000 for heads of household, or $200,000 for couples filing jointly, as added by the Office of the Governor.
According to a published report by Forbes on November 15, 2022, the Maine Department of Administrative and Financial Services began issuing the first round of payments on June 1, 2022, and by November, over 850,000 relief checks had been mailed to residents, representing 99% of those expected to be eligible for the payments. Any remaining checks will be issued as paper tax returns are verified and processed. Residents can check their stimulus check status by visiting Maine.gov and providing their Social Security number.
The stimulus payments are part of a broader financial relief package In Maine’s supplemental budget, which is expected to impact around 858,000 residents. The package is intended to address the specific financial challenges faced by Maine residents due to the ongoing pandemic.
Sarah Austin, director of policy and research at the Maine Center for Economic Policy, says the stimulus checks will be a big help for low-income households struggling to cover higher costs, such as increased housing, food, and energy expenses.
