Stimulus 2022: Residents in Maine have 10 days to claim $850 relief checks

Asher Notheis

October 21, 12:50 PM October 21, 12:50 PM

Maine residents have until Halloween to claim up to $850 in COVID-19 relief.

The stimulus payments, which are available due to a state budget surplus, are being sent out to offer financial assistance to reduce economic strains related to the pandemic and increasing inflation. About 858,000 residents will be eligible to claim their relief checks if they file by Oct. 31.

“What this budget shows once again, through hard work and good faith negotiation, Democrats, Republicans, and independents can come together to do what is right for Maine people and that we can do so without rancor or bitter partisanship that has sometimes divided Augusta in the past,” Gov. Janet Mills said.

STIMULUS UPDATE: MILLIONS MAY STILL BE ELIGIBLE FOR COVID-19 STIMULUS PAYMENTS

Mills approved the distribution of the checks in April. The total cost of the stimulus payments is estimated to be $729.3 million.

To qualify for this payment, applicants must have been Maine residents for a full year and have filed their 2021 state tax returns by Oct. 31. Additionally, applicants must make less than $100,000 annually if filing individually, $150,000 if filing as the head of a household, or $200,000 if filing jointly, according to the governor’s office.

For joint filers, both will be given an $850 check if their tax return meets the eligibility criteria for a relief payment. Residents who are dependents do not qualify for this payment.

The relief checks will be mailed through the U.S. Postal Service to the address provided on the filer's 2021 Maine income tax return, which will then be redirected to any forwarding addresses filed with the Postal Service.