CA Stimulus: Still Waiting On Your $600 Check? Here's Why

CALIFORNIA — California has distributed some $1.5 billion in Golden State Stimulus payments to taxpayers in the state, but some residents are still waiting on their checks to arrive. So far, 2 million payments have been sent out to Golden Staters, officials said.

If you haven't yet received a payment, and you're eligible for one, don't panic. The last round of electronic payments went out on Sept. 17, and the next batch is scheduled to go out on Oct. 5.

For those who chose to receive tax refunds in the mail, the state will start mailing out paper checks next month, according to the state's Franchise Tax Board. Californians can track payment timing here.

"Look out for checks either in your mailbox or directly in your account," Gov. Gavin Newsom said over the weekend. "The Golden State Stimulus is on its way."

Two-thirds of Californians and 78 percent of taxpayers were estimated to recieve a payment, officials said. Eligible Californians must have filed their tax returns by Oct. 15 to qualify. For those who already filed a tax return but didn't claim the California earned income tax credit, the state urged them to file an amended return.

California is the only state to send out pandemic financial aid to its residents with its own money.

Newsom on July 12 signed the $100 billion California Comeback Plan, which included the second round of $600-plus checks, which will go to those who made up to $75,000 last year — an estimated 11 million middle-income Californians. Another $500 will go to families with children, and an additional rebate of $500 would go to many people living in the country without documentation.

It's important to note that the new stimulus would go only to residents who did not receive the first $600 payment: those who made $30,000 or less in 2020. Low-income residents who received the first $600 — or in some cases $1,200 — would not get a second $600 payment, Newsom's office told Patch.

"However, those who got the first [stimulus] payment could potentially be eligible for the $500 payment if they are a qualified family (meet income requirements) with a dependent," Newsom's office said in a previous email to Patch. "There is also a $500 payment for [individual taxpayer identification number] filers."

SEE ALSO: CalMatters: Look Up Your Golden State Stimulus Amount

"We're investing that in the unprecedented challenges the state faces, including into addressing the needs of people that are working hard, playing by the rules and barely making ends meet," Newsom previously told reporters.

The stimulus checks were made possible by a gargantuan 2021 state budget and a record amount of spending, with agreements to expand health care to undocumented people, to fund solutions for homelessness and to help Californians most affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

“Harnessing the largest surplus in state history, we’re making transformative investments across the board that will help bring all our communities roaring back from the pandemic — and pay dividends for generations to come,” Newsom said in July.

The fiscal year began July 1 with a historic $262.6 billion that was bolstered by a $75.7 billion surplus and $27 billion in federal coronavirus aid. During the same time last year, the state announced a $54.3 billion projected shortfall.

"It's a remarkable turnaround," Newsom said in May.

The payments are being distributed on the heels of a gubernatorial recall election that threatened to oust the Democratic governor from office.

After two months of constant campaigning, Newsom handily repelled a recall effort last week, making him only the second governor in the country to beat back a recall.

"Thank you for rejecting this recall," Newsom said, declaring victory at the John L. Burton California Democratic Party headquarters in Sacramento just moments after the race was called by The Associated Press.

READ MORE: Newsom Handily Defeats Recall