CLEVELAND (WJW) – A Change.org petition calling for $2,000 monthly stimulus checks is approaching 2.5 million signatures.
Stephanie Bonin, who owns a restaurant in Denver with her husband, created the petition to Congress more than a year ago. It now has more than 2.4 million signatures.
“Our country is still deeply struggling. The recovery hasn’t reached many Americans — the true unemployment rate for low-wage workers is estimated at over 20% and many people face large debts from last year for things like utilities, rent and child care,” she wrote in the latest update.
“These are all reasons that checks need to be targeted to people who are still struggling and that Congress needs to learn from this past year. It took nine months for Congress to send a second stimulus check, and just moments to spend it. Moving forward Congress needs to make recurring checks automatic if certain triggers are met. No more waiting around for our government to send the help we need. Sign to join our movement to get recurring checks to the people.”
There could be another way to qualify for even more stimulus funds.
The child and dependent care credits are part of the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act signed into law by President Joe Biden in March. The amount of eligible expenses for the child and dependent care credit rose under the act, and will be refundable under the new law — but only for 2021.
This year, those who qualify can claim certain expenses of up to $8,000 for one eligible child, or $16,000 for two or more eligible dependents. Both amounts are more than twice that of prior limits.