Starting this week, the first round of $450 energy relief payments are in the mail, and heading to eligible Maine taxpayers! This much-needed check will help Mainers heat their homes, and ensure that they have what they need to keep safe and warm.
The checks will be sent on a rolling basis, with the Maine Revenue Services expecting to issue around 200,000 checks per week. Most Mainers who qualify should expect to see checks by the end of March.
Nearly 900,000 Mainers are expected to be eligible for these payments. You are eligible if you:
filed your 2021 Maine individual income tax return as a full-time resident of the State for tax year 2021, by October 31, 2022,
are not claimed as a dependent on another’s return,
and have a Federal adjusted gross income (FAGI) of less than:
$100,000 if filing single or if married and filing separately;
$150,000 if filing as head of household; or
$200,000 for couples filing jointly.
These relief payments are part of a larger bipartisan Emergency Energy Relief Plan. Some of the other notable measures of the plan include: home heating assistance for low-income consumers, emergency fuel assistance, and funding short-term emergency housing to address homelessness during the winter months.
“This is urgent because Maine’s a cold weather state, and when things go wrong for people, they end up freezing to death,” Senate President Troy Jackson said in an interview. “It’s rare that you get a chance to put $500 million back into the economy for heating assistance for people.”
Sen. Jackson is right. Maine winters can be dangerous, and everyone deserves to be safe, warm, and secure in their homes during the cold months. We’re grateful to the Legislature and Gov. Mills for putting Mainers first, and ensuring everyone can stay warm!
For further information on these payments or the wider Emergency Energy Relief Plan, visit Maine.gov/energyrelief!