$600 CA Stimulus Payments: Who Qualifies, How It Works

CALIFORNIA — Some 5.7 million Californians will receive $600 stimulus checks from the state, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Wednesday.

Californians are eligible for the $600 if they:

• earn less than $30,000 annually and received the California Earned Income Tax Credit in 2020
• have an Individual Tax Identification Number and were ineligible to receive the $1,200 and $600 payments previously issued by the federal government
• are enrolled in CalWORKS
• receive Supplemental Security Income/State Security Payment

• are enrolled in the Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants

Newsom, Senate President pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon came to an agreement Wednesday in hopes of providing additional aid to California businesses, low-income families and those who have been hit hardest by the coronavirus pandemic. The agreement expands on priorities outlined in Newsom's budget proposal.

While California leaders have agreed upon the proposal, it still must formally make its way through the legislative process.

“People are hungry and hurting, and businesses our communities have loved for decades are at risk of closing their doors," Atkins said in a written statement. "We are at a critical moment, and I’m proud we were able to come together to get Californians some needed relief.”

Here are some additional aid efforts officials agreed to Wednesday:

• $2 billion for a small business grant program; businesses can seek up to $25,000
• $50 million for cultural institutions
• $400 million in federal funding for $525 stipends for 400,000 kids in state-subsidized child care and preschool
• $24 million in aid and services to agricultural workers
• $35 million for food banks and diapers benefiting agricultural workers
• $100 million for select low-income community college students
• $18 million to reach out to and enroll University of California, California State University and California Community College students in the CalFresh food benefits program

State officials continue to discuss how to safely reopen K-12 schools and work with students who have fallen behind, according to a joint statement by Newsom, Atkins and Rendon.

Read the full statement, with additional details about state aid efforts, here.