Virginia residents have four days until applications open for a state-sponsored pilot program that would provide a guaranteed monthly income over the next two years.
The program, which will be rolled out for Alexandria residents, will provide $500 monthly payments to eligible applicants over the next two years. Officials will accept applications between Oct. 31 and Nov. 9 for the Alexandria Recurring Income for Success and Equity program, which will randomly select 170 eligible applicants for the initiative.
STIMULUS UPDATE: APPLICATIONS FOR $500 IN MONTHLY PAYMENTS FOR TWO YEARS TO OPEN IN SIX DAYS
“We are providing financial resources to individuals and families so they are empowered to decide how to best meet the needs in their lives. We are creating this unique program to evolve the ways that we assist our neighbors in need of extra support. That is what ARISE is about,” Mayor Justin Wilson said in a press release.
Funding for the program will partly come from funds that were made available through pandemic aid, and applicants can receive their payments through either a paper check or direct deposit.
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In order to be eligible, applicants must be within the designated income threshold, which ranges between $49,850 for households of one to $82,550 for households of six. Individuals must be 18 years old or older to apply, and there are no work requirements.
Similar pilot programs have emerged nationwide in recent years, particularly amid economic strains brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Guaranteed income programs are different from universal basic income programs because they specifically target low-income groups as opposed to providing broad payment schemes.
