Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA)
(Federally Funded State Program) | PUA benefits are cash payments for unemployed Californians who are not usually eligible for UI benefits. | People who are not working or working reduced hours as a direct result of COVID-19 including business owners, self-employed workers, independent contractors, and those with a limited work history. | You may be eligible for PUA Reassessment if one of the following three reasons for being out of work applied to you. These reasons are newly approved and were not available in the initial application process: - You were an employee and your hours were reduced or you were laid off as a direct result of the COVID-19 public health emergency. If you were previously denied benefits for one or more weeks under the PUA program, you will receive a message in your UI Online account with instructions on how to complete the PUA Reassessment.
- You were denied unemployment benefits because you refused to return to work or accept an offer of work at a worksite that was not in compliance with COVID-19 safety standards.
- You were a school employee and were fully or partially unemployed because of changes in your usual work schedule directly caused by COVID-19.
| If you were previously denied benefits for one or more weeks under the PUA program, you will receive a message in your UI Online account with instructions on how to complete the PUA Reassessment. |
Advance Child Tax Credit Payments
(Federal) | Advance Child Tax Credit payments are early payments from the IRS. The IRS will pay half the total credit amount in advance monthly payments beginning July 15. Taxpayers will claim the other half when filing the 2021 income tax return. These changes apply to tax year 2021 only. | To qualify for advance Child Tax Credit payments, you — and your spouse, if you filed a joint return — must have:
* Filed a 2019 or 2020 tax return and claimed the Child Tax Credit on the return;or
* Given us your information in 2020 to receive the Economic Impact Payment using the Non-Filers: Enter Payment Info Here tool;and
* A main home in the United States for more than half the year (the 50 states and the District of Columbia) or file a joint return with a spouse who has a main home in the United States for more than half the year;and
* A qualifying child who is under age 18 at the end of 2021 and who has a valid Social Security number;and
* Made less than certain income limits. | The IRS will determine if you are eligible from your 2020 or 2019 tax returns and will automatically enroll you to receive payments. If you are not required to file a tax return and have not given the IRS your information already, you will need to provide some basic information on the Sign-up Tool: https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/child-tax-credit-non-filer-sign-up-tool | Payments will end December 2021. |
Tax Relief
(State) | California is offering tax relief, filing extensions, and tax preparation assistance. | Visit the Franchise Tax Board COVID-19 FAQs in the next box to see if any of these apply to you. | https://www.ftb.ca.gov/about-ftb/newsroom/covid-19/index.html | Varies |
Golden State Stimulus
(State) | The Golden State Stimulus provides one-time payment of $600 or $1,200 to low-income families and people excluded from federal stimulus funds. | Everyone who receives the California Earned Income Tax Credit (CalEITC) based on their 2020 tax return, as well as Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) tax filers with a 2020 California adjusted gross income of $75,000 or less, should receive the Golden State Stimulus. | You must file your 2020 income tax return with the Franchise Tax Board (FTB) by the deadline to qualify for the Golden State Stimulus.
ftb.ca.gov | October 15, 2021
(If you owe taxes, the deadline to pay is May 17, 2021.) |
California Earned Income Tax Credit(CalEITC) (State) | CalEITC is a refundable tax credit meant to help low- to moderate-income people and families. The maximum credit for an individual with no qualifying dependents is $243, while a married couple filing jointly with three or more children could get back up to $3,027. | An adult, or a person with a qualifying child, who has a valid SSN or ITIN (for them, their spouse, and all qualifying children), earned income, and an AGI of $30,000 or less may qualify for CalEITC. | You must file your 2020 state income tax return with FTB to receive CalEITC. You can go back up to four years to claim CalEITC by filing or amending a state income tax return for those years, if you were eligible then. | October 15, 2021
(If you owe taxes, the deadline to pay is May 17, 2021.) |
Young Child Tax Credit (YCTC)
(State) | Gives low- to moderate-income working parents of pre-school-aged children additional assistance in the amount of up to $1,000 per tax filer. | If you qualify for CalEITC and have a child who was under the age of six as of the end of the tax year, you likely qualify for YCTC as well. | You must file your 2020 state income tax return with FTB to receive YCTC.
You can go back and file or amend your 2019 return to claim YCTC for that tax year, if you were eligible then. | October 15, 2021
(If you owe taxes, the deadline to pay is April 15, 2021.) |
Unemployment Insurance (UI) Benefits
(State Program with Federal Enhancements) | UI benefits are cash payments based on past earnings. December 2020 federal legislation extended the maximum length of payment to 59 weeks, included more workers, and supplemented state benefits by $300 per week through the week ending September 6, 2021. | People who lost their job or had their hours reduced, as well as parents who are missing work to care for a child whose school is closed due to COVID-19, may qualify. | Apply for benefits with the Employment Development Department (EDD).
https://unemployment.edd.ca.gov/guide/benefits | Ongoing |
COVID-19 Funeral Assistance
(Federal) | FEMA is providing financial assistance for COVID-19 related funeral expenses incurred after January 20, 2020.
There is no requirement for the deceased person to have been a U.S. citizen, non-citizen national, or qualified alien. | To be eligible for funeral assistance, the following conditions must be met: The death must have occurred in the United States, including the U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia; the death certificate must indicate the death was attributed to COVID-19; and the applicant must be a U.S. citizen, non-citizen national, or qualified alien who incurred funeral expenses after January 20, 2020. | COVID-19 Funeral Assistance Line Number:
(844) 684-6333 or TTY: (800) 462-7585
More information: https://www.fema.gov/disasters/coronavirus/economic/funeral-assistance/faq | Ongoing |
Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) Program (Federal) | Provides up to $50 a month to help cover the cost of internet access. There is also a stipend available (up to $100) toward qualifying connected devices such as a laptops, tablets, or computers. | Individuals with disabilities and others in low-income households. There is an enhanced benefit for tribal citizens living on tribal lands. Full program eligibility requirements can be found on the EBB site. | Applications can be submitted through theGetEmergencyBroadbandsite or by mail to:
Emergency Broadband Support Center, P.O. Box 7081, London, KY 40742. | Enrollment opens May 12, 2021, and expires when program funds run out. |
Tax Filing Extensions
(State and Federal)
| The tax filing deadline has been extended for both state and federal taxes for the 2020 tax year. | All individual tax filers. | Automatic. Individual taxpayers do not need to file any forms or call tax agencies to qualify for this relief. | Status: Expired. The tax filing deadline was May 17, 2021.
Click here if you did not file your state taxes in time. |
Recovery Rebate Credit
(Federal) | The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued two rounds of federal stimulus payments approved in 2020. The first provided up to $1,200 per adult and $500 per dependent child, and the second provided up to $600 per person. The Rebate Recovery Credit gives people who were eligible but did not receive a stimulus check, or who did not receive the full amount due to them, an opportunity to recoup those funds through a credit on their taxes. | U.S. citizens or resident aliens with a social security number (SSN) valid for employment in the U.S. who are not claimed as a dependent by another taxpayer are eligible for the full amount of the stimulus if their adjusted gross income does not exceed:
$150,000 if married and filing jointly;
$112,500 if filing as head of household; or
$75,000 for an individual filing with any other status.
(The stimulus payment will be reduced by 5 percent of the amount by which income exceeds the applicable threshold above.) | If you were eligible and did not receive either or both federal stimulus payments, you can file for them as a credit on your 2020 income taxes. The option to register with the IRS to receive these payments without filing taxes has expired. You must file a 2020 income tax return with the IRS to receive stimulus payments, even if you are not required to file taxes.
https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/recovery-rebate-credit | Status: Expired. This credit was included in tax filings due May 17, 2021. |
Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)
(Federal) | EITC is a refundable tax credit meant to help low- to moderate-income people and families. The maximum credit for an individual with no qualifying dependents is $538, while a married couple filing jointly with three or more children could get back up to $6,660. | U.S. citizens and resident aliens with a SSN valid for employment in the U.S. who meet earned income requirements (ranging from a maximum of $15,820 for an individual with no qualifying dependents, to $56,844 for a married couple filing jointly with three or more children) and have limited investment income may qualify for EITC. https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/individuals/earned-income-tax-credit-eitc | You must file your 2020 income tax return with the IRS to receive the EITC and learn if you are eligible for additional credits.
https://www.irs.gov/individuals | Status: Expired. This credit was included in tax filings due May 17, 2021. |
| Golden State Grant Program (State) | The Golden State Grant Program provides a one-time grant of $600 to low-income households already receiving certain other state or federal assistance. | Households enrolled in the CalWorks program and recipients of Supplemental Security Income/State Supplementary Payments (SSI/SSP) and Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants (CAPI) should receive a Golden State Grant. | Application period has closed. | All payments were distributed in April 2021. |
