In August, Georgia governor Brian Kemp announced that $1.2 billion of federal COVID relief funds would be distributed to the 3 million Georgia residents who are in the most need of financial assistance.
Excess funds from 2021's American Rescue Plan were planned to be distributed via $350 relief checks to Georgians who are receiving assistance from Medicaid, food stamps, cash welfare assistance, or subsidized health insurance for children.
According to AJC, more than 800,000 locals have already spent their relief checks, however, many residents that qualify are still waiting to cash in.
How do you get my stimulus check if I didn't get it?
The funds were first made available on September 20 and are still actively being distributed in the form of pre-paid Mastercard that can only be used under certain terms and conditions.
The guidelines state that the pre-paid cards cannot be converted to cash or used on money-sharing apps such as Venmo, Paypal or CashApp.
They are also not permitted to be used to purchase firearms, nicotine, alcohol, lottery tickets or "adult entertainment." The relief money is intended to go towards everyday expenses such as groceries, gas and utility bills.
However, the first week of rollouts came with difficulties as some locals struggled with technical glitches, which the Georgia Department of Human Services claims are mostly resolved as of September 26.
In order to streamline the redeeming process, the Department of Human Services created a video guide to help qualifying residents access the relief money.
Cash Assistance Program Login Instructional video. GA DHS | Youtube
The video talks users through a step-by-step guide to accessing the Cash Assistance Program using individual client IDs and redeeming the funds via email and the Gateway portal.
Here you can access the virtual card's number, check remaining balances and view transaction history.
The video also elaborates on how heads of households can claim payments for dependents, and how to add the card to digital wallets to use in stores using tap-to-pay technology.
How do I qualify for stimulus check 2022?
You do not have to apply to receive the relief funds, and you can check your eligibility on the official DHS website.
The guidelines explain that residents who have their Georgia Gateway preferences set to "email" will be the first to get access to the money and that those looking to claim benefits via U.S. mail will receive their payments at a later date.
