Is a 4th stimulus check coming in 2021? What's behind the push for another payment - CNET

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Families living paycheck to paycheck could benefit from another batch of direct economic payments. 

Angela Lang/CNET

With President Joe Biden and members of Congress hammering out the details of the next stimulus bill, some in the House and Senate continue to push for another stimulus check to be included in the proposal. So far, the White House is leaving it up to Congress to decide on one more round of economic payments. "The president is certainly open to a range of ideas," White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said earlier this month. "He's also proposed what he thinks is going to be the most effective for the short term."

That's not deterring some lawmakers, who are calling for more pandemic relief money, either as a one-time direct payment or a recurring payment, citing broad support from the public and financial analysts. Others in Washington have argued that as the economy rebounds, stimulus money should be lower on the agenda. According to a recent study, the first three stimulus checks helped reduce hardships like food insufficiency and financial instability.

We'll tell you more about these economic measures and decisions affecting you. As for other money matters, here's how to check on your tax refund, what to know about the unemployment tax break and how to see if you qualify for the recurring child tax credit payments set to begin next month. We continue to update this story.

Are future stimulus checks still on the table?

Two more stimulus bills have been proposed since the American Rescue Plan became law in March. But, as a May 28 White House fact sheet on the budget for fiscal year 2022 lays out, neither the American Families Plan nor the American Jobs Plan calls for a new stimulus check at this stage. It's still possible one of these bills could extend or introduce more money through direct payments for specific groups of recipients, such as parents who earn below a certain income or people who are out of work.

Some Democratic members of the House and Senate have thrown their weight behind a fourth stimulus check. In late March, a group of lawmakers asked Biden to include regular stimulus payments in his next stimulus package. On May 17, several members of the House Ways and Means Committee made a similar request. Remarking on increased poverty and spiraling debt among Americans, they noted that "most people spent relief checks on monthly expenses or essentials such as food, utilities, rent and mortgage payments."

A White House press conference on June 3 indicated that Biden is still "happy to hear a range of ideas" to get the economy on track. However, the administration has focused most of its recent efforts on passing an infrastructure spending package. 

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What about stimulus relief already decided for 2021? 

The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 from March contained three types of direct payments to individuals:

Stimulus checks: stimulus payments of up to $1,400 have gone out to those who meet the requirements. There's also money going to certain individuals in the form of "plus-up" payments . 

Child tax credit: A temporary expansion of the child tax credit for 2021 sends qualifying families up to $3,600 for each child -- you can calculate your child tax credit total here. These monthly partial payment checks, which begin in July, will last through the end of the year, with a final payment in 2022. 

Federal unemployment bonus: A weekly $300 unemployment bonus was extended to Sept. 6, as was pandemic unemployment assistance to gig workers and freelancers (the self-employed). However, half of state governments have chosen to opt out of the extended benefits, so millions of jobless Americans in those states will be cut off as early as next week. 

Wages and benefits have been slashed for millions in the US as a result of the pandemic. 

CNET Staff

Could the next stimulus proposal provide extra payments?

As part of the White House's economic stimulus strategy, the future American Families Plan could potentially include direct aid to individuals and families. 

If it approves recurring payments: This plan would be the next likely place for Congress to provide more funding in the form of a fourth stimulus check. 

If it makes the child tax credit raise permanent: Money from the expanded child tax credit is set to start in July, sending periodic payments to lower-income and middle-income families with children. In his speech before Congress, Biden called on the House and Senate to extend the expanded child tax credit to 2025. 

If it passes a minimum wage hike: Some senators continue to look for ways to boost the federal minimum wage, which currently stands at $7.25 per hour. In his speech before Congress, Biden called on the legislators to raise the minimum wage to $15. Sens. Romney and Kyrsten Sinema have also pitched a wage hike. Some proponents want to set the bar at a $15 hourly wage, but others are looking to go only up to $11 an hour. 

If it renews federal unemployment payments beyond the fall: Along with recurring payments, some lawmakers had originally petitioned for federal unemployment assistance to extend beyond Labor Day this year. However, dozens of states have cut off extended benefits, and enhanced unemployment relief is not likely to continue beyond those expiration dates. On June 4, Biden indicated that he thinks the temporary boost in jobless benefits should expire as planned in early September. 

Here's how to report a problem with your stimulus check. And here's what we know about the new IRS portals that'll help you get money with the child tax credit. 

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