CT's 'Hero Pay': Here's How You Might Qualify For $1K Payment

CONNECTICUT — All during the COVID-19 pandemic, Connecticut residents praised, saluted, and otherwise paid tribute to the state's essential workers.

Of course, nothing says "thank you" better than cash, and so the Connecticut General Assembly voted to make $30 million dollars available in assistance to the critical personnel earlier this year.

The Connecticut Premium Pay Program, or "Hero Pay," is being managed by the Office of the State Comptroller, who has retained Public Consulting Group to assist with claim processing and payments.

But just like the lottery, "you have to be in it to win it."

Here are five things to know about applying for "Hero Pay" in Connecticut:

Who is eligible?

Connecticut residents eligible for Premium Pay are those essential workers who were unable to work from home between March 10, 2020 and May 7, 2022. They must have earned $149,999 or less, and not been employed by a federal, state or municipal government agency.

The qualifying group is larger than just health care and emergency services personnel, and include workers in the energy, agriculture, transportation/logistics and other industries as well. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security was tasked with defining "essential worker" during the allocation of initially limited COVID-19 vaccine supply, and the state continues to take its cues from that list, maintained online here. This list is only a guideline and may not contain every job type, according to the OSC, so if you feel you were an essential worker during the pandemic, take a shot and apply.

How much money am I eligible to receive?

Full-time employees will receive $1,000 if they earned less than $100,000. From there it's a sliding scale determined by paycheck size:

• $800 between $100,000 - $109,999
• $600 between $110,000 - $119,999
• $400 between $120,000 - $129,999
• $200 between $130,000 - $149,999

Part-time employees will receive $500.

There's a heads-up: If the amount in the Connecticut premium pay account is insufficient to fully fund all approved applicants according to the formula provided above, then all approved applicants' payments will be reduced proportionally.

There's another heads-up: "Hero Pay" is taxable income, and recipients will receive a 1099 tax form for the year corresponding to the payment.

How can I apply?

The application for the state's Premium Pay Program is online here.

There is no minimum number of days you are required to have worked to apply for this fund, so long as you meet the Premium Pay Program qualification requirements.

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When is the deadline?

The deadline to apply for Hero Pay is Oct. 1, 2022.

How and when will I be paid?

The State Comptroller's Office will distribute by either check or direct deposit. How you receive your payment will depend on the payment selection choice you made at the time of application submission.

Applications will be reviewed within 60 business days of submission. Payments will be made in early 2023 following submissions of all applications.