Sunday, December 22

Waiting for your stimulus check? What other ways are there to get free money from the government

We are almost a year after the pandemic began and the American economy has been greatly affected , both The first financial support has not been enough and the third stimulus check is not yet defined.

As the days go by, debts accumulate and household expenses do not they stop , so it’s time to review all the options that we can use .

The Yahoo! Finance listed a series of legitimate ways that the United States government has to provide you with money Cash unconditionally and take advantage of them.

Unclaimed tax refunds and forgotten funds

Americans have three years to file a tax return and claim the money for the refund. Good tax software can guide you through the process of tracking all the deductions you apply to. On the other hand, according to the National Association of Unclaimed Property Managers , there are more than $ 40 billion available to take from forgotten bank accounts, life insurance policies and other sources, to know if any of this belongs to you you can consult MissingMoney.com or Unclaimed.org .

Retrieve missing stimuli

File your taxes this year to claim a lost stimulus check . If you did not receive the $ 1, 200 or the $ 600 You can request a Recovery Refund Credit on the Form 1040 on your federal tax return . Filing your return will also give you the opportunity to update your information with the IRS to be eligible upon delivery of the third stimulus check .

Unclaimed pensions

Many Americans forget their meager pension benefits . Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. indicates that approximately 80, 000 people are owed more than $ 300 million in unclaimed money . If this is your case you can consult the PBGC website .

Use the initial payment

Gather up to 20% of the cost of a house for the initial payment is not easy. Federal, state and local government agencies have grant programs to help you with this . The Good Neighbor Next Door program of the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development charges half the price of a house for different workers who commit to live in a community for three years . Check the department website available in your state.

Help with paying for utilities

In the US an average household spends more than $ 4, 000 per year on utilities , including electricity, heat and telephone. The Federal Communications Commission’s Lifeline program helps low-income citizens stay connected by offering a monthly discount up to $ 9. 25 in the telephone or Bandwidth Internet. Other support is the Energy Assistance Program for Low Income Households from the federal Department of Health , or LIHEAP , which provides subsidies for the costs of heating and air conditioning in the home.

Support for payment of Weatherization

The Federal Weatherization Assistance Program has resources to make your home more energy efficient and reduce your heating and air conditioning bills . Up to 30 million American families qualify for this benefit , which according to The US Department of Energy saves households an average of $ 283 or more each year .

Education Expense Support

Federal and State Grants can support you with expenses university students . If you are a candidate for a Pell Grant you can count on up to $ 6, 345 dollars, and it is not necessary to return them. A Federal Supplemental Grant for Educational Opportunity through your school’s financial aid office could provide you between $ 100 and $ 4, 000 , according to the applicant’s needs.

Free tax services

Having an advisor for your tax return can be expensive , but for free help you can turn to the Voluntary IRS Income Tax Assistance or the VITA program. Retired tax experts volunteer to help fill out returns of people earning $ 57, 000 or less, or who are disabled or are not fluent in English .

Social Security Death Benefit

Social Security offers a modest $ 255 death benefit that can be received when a spouse or parent is lost.

Compensation when you have been scammed

The Federal Trade Commission can help you get some money back scammers . You must file a complaint with the agency , explaining what happened and how much you lost . If the FTC receives enough complaints, it takes legal action against the company, recovering money and sending checks to customers .

Benefits due to unemployment

When you lose your job through no fault of your own , as in this pandemic , the government supports you. The current unemployment insurance system is supervised by the federal government, but it is administered by the states. Benefits can last up to 26 weeks and range from $ 235 per week (Mississippi) and $ 555 (Massachusetts). The amounts may be higher if the government decides to extend the support.

With information from Yahoo! Finance

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