Humboldt’s local resource service, 2-1-1 Humboldt, has set up an extremely useful resource online guide with information on just about everything you need to know to weather the COVID-19 storm. The shareable Google Doc has everything from the hours of availability for food pantries to when schools are providing lunches for the kiddos to information on how to make sure you are eligible for the $1,200 stimulus check that was a part of the recent 2.2 trillion CARES Act package.

Some of the highlights from the resource guide include information on where to get low-cost internet, shopping hours for seniors, information on how to file pandemic unemployment compensation and a recommended food list that is supposed to last two weeks if someone needs to quarantine due to potential exposure to COVID-19. All of this information is also available in Spanish by calling 2-1-1. 

There is also some of the key information about how to get the $1,200 stimulus check if you do not have direct deposit set up with the IRS and if you do not typically file a tax return. Here is a bulleted list made by 2-1-1 with some information about those $1,200 checks: 

What will people get?

  • Single people earning below $75,000 will get $1,200
  • Married couples earning below a combined $150,000 will get $2,400
  • Parents will receive $500 for each child under age 17
  • A reduced amount will be available for individuals and couples making more than $75,000 and $150,000 respectively. But there will be no payments for individuals earning more than $99,000 or couples earning more than $198,000

What is the small print?

  • Eligibility is primarily determined by tax returns

  • NOTE: Immigrants without valid Social Security numbers and “resident alien” status will NOT receive any payment. (Resident alien status means either a Green Card or the ability to prove a “substantial presence”). This excludes people who may have filed taxes under an ITIN individual taxpayer identification number) rather than an SSN

  • Someone who did not file a tax return in 2018 (e.g. a student), must file a 2019 return to qualify
  • Individuals receiving Social Security benefits are on file with the government and payments will be based on those records
  • People who have filed income tax in 2018 and then moved, and have not yet filed for 2019, will face a delay

When will the money arrive?

  • People who have previously received a tax refund through direct deposit will receive their money first (possibly within 3 weeks)
  • People who received a tax refund through the mail will have a longer wait
  • Payments may also be hampered because the impact of COVID-19 has reduced the capacity of the IRS

Here is a link to the full Google Doc with all of 2-1-1 Humboldt’s information.