The American Rescue Plan signed by President Joe Biden will extend unemployment benefits and result in millions of Americans receiving a $1,400 stimulus check.
To help speed recovery and sustain struggling Americans until the pandemic is defeated, Congressional Democrats passed the $1.9 trillion pandemic relief bill that President Joe Biden signed into law Thursday to become the American Recovery Plan.
Two elements of the bill will help shore up household finances, one in the short term and one through Labor Day.
The White House has said the first wave of $1,400 stimulus checks will begin to be deposited into Americans’ bank accounts as early as this weekend. U.S. workers who are still unemployed will also be able to receive a continuation of unemployment benefits through early September, which were set to expire on March 14.
Can I receive a stimulus check if I collect unemployment insurance?
The two provisions of the unemployment assistance bill are not mutually exclusive; receiving one of the benefits does not mean you cannot receive the other support. In many cases, both resources are necessary to shore up the finances of households across the country.
Related: Married couple may be able to save up to $20,400 in unemployment benefit taxes
While direct stimulus payments will be sent by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), federal pandemic unemployment benefits will be distributed by state unemployment agencies.
The former is a refundable tax credit for 2021 paid in advance and the latter is taxable income.