How the Covid Recovery Stimulus Package is missing out Low Income Families

Last updated on March 10th, 2023 at 11:32 am

Despite the CARES act passed in March 2020, a chunk of American people have still not received their stimulus package. It was all well meaning and promised to them immediately after the American economy started to feel the pressure of the ongoing pandemic led lockdown.

Confirmed by the Government Accountability Office (GAO), there are as many as nine million people still awaiting their cheques. As the third report in a row, this non partisan congressional watchdog has also found key inconsistencies in Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance for schools, such as how to screen for the virus and when schools should close down if students or teachers start testing positive for the virus.

“Our report contains 16 new, concrete recommendations where timely and concerted actions by the Administration and Congress can help address the coronavirus crisis. If implemented, those suggestions have the potential to significantly improve the nation’s response to the current pandemic as well as strengthen preparations for future public health emergencies.”

Comptroller General of the United States and head of the GAO

There are glaring oversights that are simply affecting the normal life of simple American people.  As the investigative arm of the Congress, GAO has been examining the implementation of the CARES Act and other pandemic relief actions.

The major problem is that, till date, agencies like the Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service that are handling the disbursement of the cheques are not clear on the names and details of the people who are suppose to receive the stimulus package.

This is primarily affecting those Americans who don’t pay taxes and therefore don’t list anywhere on IRS’s database on their annual income. In all probability, many don’t file taxes because their annual income is below the taxable bracket, depriving them of a single time stimulus package of $1200.

The previous reports have given recommendations on the implementation of the CARES Act and Trump administration. According to Gene L. Dodaro, Comptroller General of the United States and head of the GAO, “Our report contains 16 new, concrete recommendations where timely and concerted actions by the Administration and Congress can help address the coronavirus crisis. If implemented, those suggestions have the potential to significantly improve the nation’s response to the current pandemic as well as strengthen preparations for future public health emergencies.”

The report further elaborates that indeed, more than 26 million Americans despite not filing taxes, did receive a payment. This also includes over five million Americans who could benefit because they followed guidance from the IRS and registered online to receive a stimulus check. However, even now, there are still an estimated 8.7 million or more Americans who are eligible but haven’t been identified by the IRS.  

Undeniably, those who have not received the payment would be belonging to the lowest income groups. They are still grappling with unemployment, low food intake amongst youngsters and children stuck at homes, lack of medical aid for those handling life threatening ailments, to name a few problems. What is deplorable is that while Trump administration busies itself ramping up military expenditure for support of allies, it continues to ignore the plight of the common American man back home.  Such glaring misconducts need to be indicative of the need of more responsible and people caring leadership, when the common American castes his or her vote in the November elections.

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