Your $600 Golden State Stimulus & More

April 2021

Dear Neighbors and Friends,

Your $600 Golden State Stimulus is here! GSS payments are scheduled to go out within the next week to Californians with Social Security Numbers or Individual Tax Identification Numbers (ITINs) that filed their state tax returns between January 1, 2021 and March 1, 2021. GSS payments for returns filed after March 1, 2021 may take up to 60 days to be sent out. Please click here for answers to frequently asked questions about the Golden State Stimulus.

I fought to ensure that the GSS would include those who had been left out of federal relief. My colleagues in the legislature and Governor Newsom agreed, and as a result the GSS provides:

$600 for all low-income households that qualify for the California Earned Income Tax Credit (CalEITC).
$600 for all ITIN households that file state returns for the 2020 tax year who earned less than $75,000.
$600 for SSI-SSP, CAPI, and CalWORKs grant recipients without requiring them to file a state tax return.

In addition to the GSS, more Californians now qualify for cash-back tax credits like CalEITC (up to $3,000) and the Young Child Tax Credit (up to $1,000) this year than ever before, but they will not receive them unless they file their state tax returns. Please click here for information about where and how you can file both your federal and state income tax returns for free.

The tax filing deadline has been extended until May 17, 2021, yet the deadline for claiming the GSS, CalEITC, and other cash-back tax credits this year is October 15, 2021. This is, in part, because Californians applying for or renewing ITINs, need additional time for the IRS to process their applications. Current ITINs must be included in state tax returns, they cannot be pending or expired. Call 844-545-5640 to make an appointment to file your ITIN application at the Downtown Los Angeles Federal Building (300 N Los Angeles St, 90012).

Relief for Renters and Landlords

Please call 833-373-0587, or click here, to apply for the City of Los Angeles Emergency Renters Assistance Program. This neighborhood guide can help you confirm if you are a City of Los Angeles resident or not. Available to all City of LA residents regardless of immigration status. Applications must be received before 11:59 PM on April 30, 2021.

Please call 833-430-2122, or click here, to apply for rent relief if you are a renter or landlord in East Los Angeles, or anywhere else outside of the City of Los Angeles’ boundaries. Available to all Californians regardless of immigration status. Here is a directory of nonprofit community partner organizations that can help you apply.

Foreclosure Prevention and Mortgage Assistance

Please call 888-895-2647, or click here, to apply for up to $20,000 in financial relief for homeowners, anywhere in LA County, who have been unable to make mortgage payments because they suffered financial distress between March 1, 2020 and December 31, 2020. Available to all LA County residents regardless of immigration status.

COVID-19 Funeral Assistance

Please call 844-684-6333 to apply for up to $9,000 to cover the funeral expenses of a loved one lost to COVID-19. This aid is retroactive to January 2020. Available to all LA County residents regardless of immigration status. No online applications are being accepted at this time. Click here for answers to Frequently Asked Questions About the Funeral Assistance Program.

COVID-19 Vaccines

All adults are now eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. If you, or anyone who is 18 or older in the 51st Assembly District, would like to receive your first dose of the Moderna vaccine on Saturday, April 17, please join me at Via Care (507 S Atlantic Blvd, 90022 – Atlantic & Eagle 260 bus line stop) between 9 AM and 2 PM. No appointment required.

If another date and time work better for you, please visit https://a51.asmdc.org/covidvaccine to make an appointment to receive your first dose of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine. If you do not have internet access, or you need support with scheduling your vaccination, please call 833-540-0473, 833-422-4255, 833-502-1245, or 213-328-3958.

Community clinics, pharmacies, health centers, the City and County of Los Angeles, and many others are now offering vaccinations. Sites like Lincoln High School (3501 N Broadway, 90031) serve Los Angeles Unified School District students, parents, and employees, as well as all community members. Those with internet access may utilize the vaccine appointment sites:

COVID-19 Testing

As schools, businesses, and our state as a whole moves toward the June 15 reopening target date, testing will play a critical role in preventing the spread of COVID-19. No one under the age of 16 has been vaccinated, and the decision to pause the use of the Janssen/Johnson & Johnson vaccine has reduced California’s supply of doses by 20%. Both asymptomatic and symptomatic transmission of COVID-19 are still possible, and infection can still mean hospitalization, and even death. Please keep practicing social distancing, wearing a mask, washing our hands, and limiting gatherings with groups of people outside of your household.

Click here to find a COVID-19 testing site. While appointments are recommended, they are not required.

Please email me or call my office, 213-483-5151, if you have questions or need any support.

In Service,

Wendy Carrillo signature

Wendy Carrillo
Assemblymember, 51st District