Stimulus Checks: When Will the Second Payment Come and Who Is Eligible?

As the coronavirus pandemic continues wreaks havoc across the south and west parts of our nation, the conversation around a second stimulus check has heated up among many curious what can be expected in the coming weeks — particularly concerning whether or not it's coming and who would be eligible. While nothing is official, the latest news suggests that this round of financial help may have a cap on income.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnel shared on Monday that the next round of checks would be focusing on low-income families with both Republicans and Democrats coming in agreement on that matter. The number being tossed around is $40,000. Anyone who earns under that would be eligible. McConnell added that the reason for this financial figure is that the majority of people hit the most laborious work in the hospitality industries, from hotels to restaurants.

The first round of checks that came in the stimulus package was made available to anyone earning $75,000 or under. The decision to drop the eligibility nearly in half would greatly decrease the amount of money the government would need to include in the second package. At this time, though, the amount is not set in concrete as both parties continue to go back-and-forth.

As for the timing of this stimulus help, there remains no set date, either, though President Donald Trump hinted at the "generous" financial help coming sometime in Phase 4. In the middle of June, Trump said that later in the summer would be a target date for the next round of help. Phase 1, 2, and 3 have been fantastic for people generally," Trump explained, noting that in looking to do "something else," they will put together something "very dramatic, very good" in terms of a package. McConnell recently said he expects a bill to be finalized in the next couple of weeks with consultation from the Trump administration, according to Yahoo.

In April, the first set of checks began to roll out. In that batch, eligible recipients received checks up to $1,200 per individual. There were a handful of hiccups along the way too, from checks mailed to the deceased, checks sent to the wrong account or checks not even delivered. The help came as the coronavirus was predominantly in the northeast in New York and New Jersey, so with more than 30 states seeing a spike in numbers, including hotspots like Florida, Texas and California, the impact of COVID-19 continues to be noticeable as some states have dialed back on its reopening plans.