A guaranteed income program will soon begin accepting applications in Los Angeles County. Former foster children will receive guaranteed monthly payments of $1,000 from Los Angeles County under this program. The program’s application period will begin on June 20.
The Breathe guaranteed income program of Los Angeles County will select 200 applicants to receive guaranteed $1,000 monthly payments from Los Angeles County for two years. The program seeks to “provide residents with the opportunity to ‘breathe’ easier knowing they have greater financial stability.”
When Can I Apply For Guaranteed Income Program?
The application period will begin on June 20 at 6 a.m. and end on July 3 at 11:59 p.m. The funds will be distributed to LA County DCFS (Department of Children and Families) Foster Youth aged 21 to 23.
To be eligible for the guaranteed monthly pay from Los Angeles County, applicants must be at least 21 years old and will not have turned 24 prior to September 1, 2023. Additionally, the applicant must have been in care on or after their 18th birthday (also known as having “aged out”).
Aside from these requirements, applicants must have a household income at or below 100% of the area median income for a household of one person, and at or below 120% of the area median income for a household of two or more people.
Applicants must also have been adversely affected by the coronavirus pandemic. Participants of any other guaranteed income program are ineligible for the Breathe guaranteed income program.
The selected applicants will receive the funds on debit cards. Note that applicants are not required to have a bank account in order to participate in the program. Applicants who are chosen will be contacted using the information they supplied on their application.
The Breathe guaranteed income program in Los Angeles County is not new. It was introduced as a demonstration program last year, with 1,000 individuals receiving $1,000 per month for three years.
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Authorities To Evaluate Effectiveness Of The Program
The previous year, 1,000 applicants were selected at random from the pool of qualified candidates. According to the Washington Examiner, the initiative is now adding 200 more individuals.
The University of Pennsylvania and other local and national research collaborators will conduct a randomized control study to evaluate the effectiveness of the program. The program selects 2,000 applicants at random to participate in the research study; they will not receive a monthly stipend.
These applicants will be required to complete periodic surveys and interviews, and their responses will be compared to those of the “treatment group” to ascertain the program’s efficacy. Participants in the control group will receive a $30 gift card for each completed survey.
According to the program’s Frequently Asked Questions, the participants’ current benefits may be affected. Thus, the participants will have the opportunity to discuss their circumstance with a benefits counselor before deciding whether or not to participate.
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