Bonus checks worth $500 heading to thousands of households in weeks – see if you’re eligible

HUNDREDS of thousands of workers will be getting $500 bonus checks in the coming weeks.

The funds will be provided under Massachusett's Essential Employee Premium Pay program, which is going out in multiple batches.

The last round, which went out in March, has gone out to roughly 480,000 people, the Massachusetts Municipal Association (MMA) said in a statement Thursday.

More than $400million of the $460million payments have been distributed under the previous round.

Additionally, the state is preparing to send out money to eligible residents under the next tranche.

Who qualifies?

Eligibility for the second round $500 check is determined by Massachusett's resident's 2021 income and it does not matter what industry you worked in.

Your income from employment during the year must have been at least $13,500 and have filed a tax return.

This is the equivalent of working 20 hours a week for 50 weeks at the state's 2021 minimum wage of $13.50.

Income must be 300% below the federal poverty level (FPL). 

This exact amount will depend on your household size, which is as follows:

• Household of one: 
  • 2020 total income at 300% of FPL: $38,640
• Household of two: 
  • 2020 total income at 300% of FPL: $52,260
• Household of three: 
  • 2020 total income at 300% of FPL: $65,880
• Household of four: 
  • 2020 total income at 300% of FPL: $79,500
• Household of five: 
  • 2020 total income at 300% of FPL: $93,120
• Household of six: 
  • 2020 total income at 300% of FPL: $106,740
• Household of seven: 
  • 2020 total income at 300% of FPL: $120,360
• Household of eight: 
  • 2020 total income at 300% of FPL: $133,980

These thresholds were different for the first round because they were based on incomes from 2020.

Those who got a first-round payment are not eligible for this batch.

You are also not eligible if you got unemployment compensation in 2021, or if you were Commonwealth executive branch worker that received or is in line to get one-time Covid-related payments from your employer.

When will they go out?

The next batch of $500 payments is set to go out in June.

They will go out "automatically" in the mail to an estimated 330,000 taxpayers, according to the state.

The state will release more information about additional rounds in the fall.

"Eligible individuals who will file a 2021 tax return on an extension will receive a Round 2 payment after the extension deadline (October 17, 2022) has passed," the state said.

Who else offering payments?

A handful of states currently are offering tax rebates to help residents deal with inflation.

This includes Maine, where about 850,000 residents are set to get $850 rebate checks, which could arrive in June.

In Delaware, 600,000 are getting rebate payments worth up to $600 this month.

And roughly 4.3million who live in Indiana will start getting tax rebates next month.

They are worth $125 for eligible singles, and $250 for couples.

Paper checks are set to be issued in July or August.

Plus, Governor Gavin Newson of California revealed a plan that would send up to $800 tax rebates.

For more on how you can get money, see the 24 states offering UBI.