Low-income households across the state will be getting some relief just in time for back-to-school shopping. Gov. Lamont announced today that the Connecticut Department of Social Services will deliver a one-time, back-to-school, COVID-19 relief special payment of $257.87 per child to more than 15,000 low-income Connecticut households benefiting 27,000 children, according to a press release.
The benefit will be sent out to eligible households Sunday, Aug. 21st, timed to coincide with the back-to-school shopping season and the start of the state’s sales tax-free week. Eligible households include those with children who received benefits through the Temporary Family Assistance (TFA) program during May 2022, or who received Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits and had no countable income during that same month.
“Connecticut is the most family-friendly state in the country, and this one-time, special benefit puts money back into the pockets of families who have been struggling to make ends meet,” Governor Lamont said. “In the coming months, many of these families will also receive payments from Connecticut’s recently enhanced earned income tax credit, which is one of the most effective programs for lifting working people out of poverty.”
The Department of Social Services mailed out letters to the eligible households this week notifying them that they will be receiving this special, one-time benefit. The benefit, known as the Pandemic Emergency Assistance Fund (PEAF), is funded by a $7 million federal grant from the Administration of Children and Families through the American Rescue Plan Act.
“These payments could not come at a better time for families,” Senator Richard Blumenthal, Senator Chris Murphy, Congressman John Larson, Congressman Joe Courtney, Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro, and Congressman Jim Himes said in a joint statement. “Back-to-school shopping is always expensive and with the increased cost of food, gas and other basic necessities, Connecticut families are feeling the pressure. We are pleased to see the funding we fought for in Congress delivered to the people who need it most.”
