Are Finance Bros Taking Stimulus Check Funds From Homeless Americans?
Buried in an already daunting article about how homeless Americans struggle to get theirs ...
gettyBuried in an already disheartening New York Times article about how homeless Americans struggle to get their stimulus checks is an even more depressing accusation: financial brothers are offering homeless people their stimulus payments, not out of the goodness of their hearts but in exchange for a high fee.
The anecdote was shared by Steven Todd, who lives at the Mainchance homeless shelter in Manhattan. Todd told The Times' Andy Newman that "educated people in finance" reached out to the homeless and offered to get their incentive money for a commission of several hundred dollars. "" People were happy to get something, "added Todd." It wasn't fair. "
Todd's report was not substantiated by Newman, and similar reports were not easily identified on the news. If so, however, the report is another black eye for a stimulus plan that has propped up millions and left many Americans behind at the same time.
Stimulus checks are not readily available for the homeless
More than 156 million households have already received their third stimulus checks. However, there are still many who are waiting not only for their third payment, but also for the first and second. Those who haven't received their money can be divided into two categories. First, those who are entitled to payments but did not receive them automatically because they did not have to file tax returns. Many of these people either did not bother to apply because they did not believe they were eligible or because they were hindered by the bureaucracy. Second are individuals who have been specifically excluded from Congress policies, including spouses and children of undocumented immigrants.
Most of the people who experience homelessness fall into the former category. Many are eligible for stimulus checks as anyone with a Social Security number who earns less than $ 75,000 and cannot be claimed as someone else's dependent is eligible. "However, some of the people who would benefit most from the money have the hardest time getting their hands on it," Newman wrote. "There is this great intention to lift people out of poverty and to help them, and it is all wonderful," Beth Hofmeister, attorney for the Legal Aid Society's Homeless Rights Project, told the New York Times. "But the way people need to access it doesn't really match how most people on really low incomes interact with the government."
Many homeless people are eligible for $ 3,200 worth of stimulus checks
Given the eligibility criteria, many homeless people should be eligible for all three stimulus tests: $ 1,200, $ 600, and $ 1,400. This is not an insignificant amount of money, and yet it shows a bigger problem. While the federal government has spent trillions on helping Americans, aid often doesn't reach the poorest Americans.
The IRS and the federal government should do more to ensure that every qualified American can get their stimulus payments. “People don't need a fixed address or a bank account. You don't need a job, ”writes the IRS. "For Eligible Individuals, the IRS will issue payment even if they haven't filed a tax return in years." While the IRS has been working with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) on a campaign to spotlight banks and credit unions that offer no or low-cost accounts, the barriers to homeless people are higher.
The IRS needs to set up an information campaign to help eligible individuals file a basic tax return and get the message across that they don't need a permanent address to file their tax return. A person who is homeless may give the address of a friend, relative, or other person they trust. The person can also provide the address of a shelter or day care center where they can pick up mail. "
Forbes Advisor's Lisa Rowan provides good advice in an article titled “How To Get An Incentive Pay When You're Homeless”. She says social service nonprofits can often help. "Many of these organizations allow individuals to use their organizational business address so that the homeless can get their performance checks, tax returns, or other important documents," Laura Scherler, United Way's senior director of economic mobility and business solutions, told Rowan. Another option is to go to a place of worship for mail or go to a local post office and apply for a postal service.
The result
Stimulus payments have helped millions of Americans struggle due to the financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic. It is the government's job to ensure that as many eligible people as possible have the knowledge and ability to receive their stimulus checks. Additionally, no one should fall victim to the homeless by receiving part of their payment in exchange for helping them get a stimulus check.
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http://businessservicesnews.ca/are-finance-bros-taking-stimulus-check-funds-from-homeless-americans/
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