Most MA Residents Would Get $600 In Coronavirus Relief Agreement

MASSACHUSETTS — A new coronavirus relief package that includes a second round of stimulus checks has been agreed upon by federal lawmakers, with a vote on the nearly $900 billion deal expected as early as Monday.

For millions of Massachusetts residents, it would mean direct cash payments. It would also mean expanded and extended federal unemployment benefits, a stay on evictions, and help for business and schools.

Here's what it could mean for you:

• Stimulus payments for most residents would be $600, half of what was sent out in the spring. The payments would go to adults who made less than $75,000 individually and less than $150,000 as a couple in 2019. Payments will decrease for people who made over $75,000 and won't be available for people who earned more than $99,000. Adults would also get $600 for each child they claim as a dependent. It's unknown when the money will come by, but the CARES Act payments came within two months for most Americans.
• Federal unemployment benefits would provide an extra $300 a week and extend coverage to those eligible for another 11 weeks, running through at least March 14. The benefits would also extend to self-employed and gig workers who are drawing from the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program. Many federal benefits were set to expire the day after Christmas. The money is half of the $600 per week unemployed people got under the previous relief package. Massachusetts has faced an unprecedented surge in unemployment throughout the pandemic.
• A federal moratorium on evictions would be extended through Jan. 31. The current moratorium was set to expire at the end of the year. The state's eviction ban expired in October, when Baker announced $171 million in funding to help landlords and renters. Eviction filings across Massachusetts sharply increased after the ban expired.
• It's unclear exactly how much the MBTA and Massachusetts Department of Transportation will get. The MBTA last week approved hundreds of millions of dollars in service cuts. Many lawmakers urged the transit agency to hold off on drastic service reductions and eliminations ahead of the anticipated relief package.
• There would be more than $284 billion under the Paycheck Protection Program, which has been expanded to help a wider array of businesses.
• Schools would receive $82 billion for heating and cooling system repairs to help get children and teachers back into school safely.

What they're saying

U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley on CNN's 'Inside Politics':

"At this point, these are not stimulus checks. They're stimulating nothing. These are survival checks. This is about basic needs, about families needing to remain safely housed, about purchasing diapers and formula, inhalers, insulin. And the truth of the matter is $600 will not even cover a month's rent."

What to read

• What's in the stimulus package? Washington Post
• Is there such a thing as a human eviction? New York Times

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  Patch will update this story as more information becomes available.