CalMatters reports that the payments – aimed at mitigating higher prices for gas and other goods – will leave out lots of low-income Californians. Among those passed over are some seniors, many living on disability benefits, and some of the lowest-income adults.
That's because the direct deposits and debit cards -- expected to begin arriving in late October and conclude in January 2023 -- will be sent out based on tax returns.
About three million Californians are in families that earn little enough that they aren't required to file taxes, according to research by Public Policy Institute of California for its 2019 California Poverty Measure.
The poverty rate among people who live in families that don't need to file taxes is 60 percent, the institute estimates. Neither the state Department of Finance nor the Franchise Tax Board – which is responsible for collecting state personal income tax in California – knew exactly how many Californians will be left out of the rebate.
The Legislature wanted to create a program to send payments to people who don't file taxes and aren't enrolled in safety net programs that received a boost in the budget. But after negotiations with the Newsom administration, that proposal didn't make it into the final budget.
