"It’s a welcome surprise."
“I don’t think it will really, greatly change my life in any way.”
"Maybe it’s a little, ‘too little, too late.’"
These were just a few responses from Columbus residents who were asked how helpful the latest pandemic stimulus checks would be.
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The Internal Revenue Service and the Treasury Department began delivering the nation’s second round of Economic Impact Payments (EIPs) on Dec. 29. According to a press release from the IRS, this is part of the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021.
These stimulus payments are generally $600 for singles and $1,200 for a married couple filing a joint return. Parents also receive up to $600 per each qualifying child. Those with gross incomes for 2019 above $75,000 for individuals (and $150,000 for couples) receive reduced payment amounts.
Margarita Orosco, 65, predicted that for families with a mortgage and four to five children, the stimulus funds might only be a "blessing for a month, maybe two months."
“I know the government is finally stepping forward, in that sense, to help," she said. "But maybe it’s a little ‘too little, too late.’ I just pray that things will get better under a new administration.”
Orosco said that the stimulus check was of some help to her, as she lives on a fixed income and sometimes it can be five weeks between disability payments. She plans to spend the stimulus on her needs.
Still, while she said she’s thankful for the help, she admitted that it only goes so far.
Caleb Blackerby, one of the owners of the restaurant Blackerby’s Hangar 5, said of the stimulus, “I don’t think it will really, greatly change my life in any way.”
He said he plans to put the funds toward household expenses and bills. He noted that while he has seen a drop in business in 2020, the bill that included the stimulus checks also has other items built in to help businesses.
For Bobby Hayes of Columbus, who is an indirect materials associate at Cummins, the stimulus funds came as a "welcome surprise" for his family, who received $2,400.
The family plans to spend the funds on living room furniture, which they already planned to buy in 2021. However, thanks to the stimulus, they won’t have to dip into their savings account to make these purchases, he said.
“To be honest, that’s kind of what the stimulus was intended for, at least in my opinion, in that it’s supposed to go back into the economy, not sit in someone’s bank account," Hayes said.
He noted that he and his wife haven’t been greatly impacted by COVID financially, so the stimulus was a sort of "cherry on top" for them.
“That kind of money is always helpful, but we certainly didn’t anticipate it or really plan for it," he said.
Rosie Hess of North Vernon said that the stimulus money’s helpfulness likely varies from person to person.
“For me personally, I don’t think it’s a huge difference," she said. "I think it’s a little bit helpful. I definitely think it depends on who you’re asking. You know, it could be a big deal for some people, and it could be absolutely nothing to other people.”
Hess, 28, works at Cummins and is an administrative associate at the tech center. Stimulus funds also came in for her husband and daughter. She said that she and her husband plan to put theirs toward her tuition; she’s currently an undergraduate student at IUPUC. Their daughter’s stimulus payment will go into a savings account for her own college education.
For Alison Kocur, 2-D art teacher and art coordinator at Columbus East High School, her stimulus funds might also go toward an educational purpose. Kocur is a grad student at the University of Indianapolis and said she may use some of the funds to buy art supplies for her home studio.
She said that she might also save the funds or invest some in "self-care", such as by purchasing a bicycle for riding on the People Trails.
Kocur added that while she is fortunate to have a fairly steady paycheck, many companies have let people go — meaning that for a lot of people, the stimulus may "run out very quickly." She said that while she doesn’t know what amount would be best, a lot of people might benefit from a larger amount than just $600.
“I just consider myself very blessed that I don’t have to worry about it as much," she said. "But I also know that I have some students that, occasionally, their families do have to worry about it. And that’s something that’s really, really hard."
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More information about Economic Impact Payments is available on the IRS’s website, and individuals can check the status of their stimulus check by using the Get My Payment tool at irs.gov/coronavirus/get-my-payment.
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