Some Florida families with kids will get a $450 "inflation relief" check
Some Florida families are set to receive checks of $450 per child to offset the impact of surging inflation and help them afford supplies for the upcoming school year, according to state officials.
About 59,000 families will get the checks, which are one-time payments. To be eligible, people must have met one of the following qualifications as of July 1, according to a statement from the Florida Department of Children and Families:
- Being a foster parent
- A relative caregiver
- A non-relative caregiver
- Families receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families cash assistance (also known as welfare)
- Participants in the Guardianship Assistance Program
The payments will be funded with $35.5 million in Governor Ron DeSantis' budget, which the state said would have reverted to the federal government if the awards hadn't been made. The checks should arrive before Florida's "back-to-school" sales-tax holiday between July 25 and August 7, officials said.
DeSantis spokeswoman Christina Pushaw tweeted that "letters are real," and included an image of the correspondence sent by the governor to families receiving the checks.
"To offset the costs of rising inflation, especially with a new school year approaching, the State of Florida is giving you $450 for each child in your care," states the letter from DeSantis.
Some states are providing tax rebates and other payments to families in order to offset the hottest inflation in 40 years, which has raised the cost of everything from gas to groceries. The Florida effort will likely help many of the state's most needy families, given that it's targeting parents on welfare and those with foster children.
At the same time, $450 is far from enough to cover the impact of rising inflation, with one analyst estimating that families are spending about $2,000 more on gasoline this year due to higher prices.
Other states are also directing payments to families to help offset the cost of inflation.
Notably, California is directing "inflation relief" checks of up to $1,050 to 23 million residents after its governor signed a $308 billion state budget that includes funding for the payments. California drivers face the highest fuel costs in the U.S., with the average price for a gallon of regular gas in the state at $5.79 on Friday — about 30% higher than the national average.
Florida residents don't need to apply for the $450 checks, which have been mailed directly to the recipients, according to state officials. The check should arrive in the next few days, it added.
