Residents of This State Can Look Forward to $850 Stimulus Checks

Talk about a nice windfall.

It's hardly a secret that inflation has been wreaking havoc on consumers since the latter part of 2021. But in recent months, inflation levels have soared to record highs, putting many Americans in a tough financial spot. These days, everything from groceries to gas to apparel costs more -- and these are expenses that are hard to reduce.

Meanwhile, many people live paycheck to paycheck without any money in savings to fall back on. And so when living costs start to jump rapidly, it can lead to immediate debt and cause people without savings to fall behind on bills.

In light of rampant inflation, you'd think lawmakers would be taking steps to help Americans cope with rising living costs. But that doesn't seem to be happening at the federal level.

At one point, lawmakers did propose a gas-specific stimulus to help consumers manage higher prices at the pump. But that idea hasn't gone anywhere.

While the federal government isn't making plans to issue a round of stimulus checks any time soon, some states are taking matters into their own hands. Maine is one of them. And soon, residents of the Pine Tree State may be in line for a very helpful windfall.

An $850 payday awaits

Recently, Maine lawmakers approved a budget that includes relief checks for residents of the state. And soon, an estimated 858,000 residents will be eligible for an $850 stimulus check to help cover the rising cost of everyday expenses, from gas to food to utilities.

The reason Maine is able to move forward with this idea is that it had a surplus in its budget. Instead of investing that money at the state level on things like schools and infrastructure, the state is instead opting to give it out to residents so that they can decide individually how they want to spend it.

Who's eligible for relief?

As was the case with the last round of federal stimulus checks, there are income requirements associated with Maine's new initiative. To qualify for an $850 payday, residents cannot earn more than:

• $100,000 if single or married filing separately
• $150,000 if filing as head of household
• $200,000 if married filing jointly

Furthermore, to be eligible for an $850 payment, residents cannot be claimed as a dependent on another person's tax return. Also, these payments are only available to those who are full-time residents of the state. The state will use tax return data to determine who gets paid or not.

Those who qualify for a payday should expect to see their money beginning in June of 2022. The state will then send out additional checks on a rolling basis as state tax returns come in, (residents have until October 31 to send those in).

The goal in giving out this aid is to help residents cover their bills and shore up their finances while inflation remains high. Last year's massive federal stimulus round worked wonders for Americans all over the country. Hopefully, Maine's $850 checks will achieve a similar result, albeit at a more local level.