NEW YORK (WABC) — Checks worth up to $200 will start landing in New Yorkers’ mailboxes next week as part of a $1 billion state rebate program aimed at offsetting rising energy costs.<\/p>\n
Gov. Kathy Hochul’s administration says about 8.2 million households are eligible for the one-time payments, which will be mailed automatically beginning Sept. 21 and continue through December.<\/p>\n
Residents do not need to apply. The Protecting Our Wallets Energy Rebate, or POWER, will be sent automatically to eligible taxpayers based on information already on file with the state tax department. They were approved in this year’s state budget.<\/p>\n
The payments vary by income and filing status. Joint tax filers with incomes below $150,000 will receive $200, while those earning between $150,000 and $300,000 will receive $150. Single filers earning less than $150,000 will receive $100.<\/p>\n
To qualify, residents must have filed a 2024 New York state income tax return, lived in the state full-time and not have been claimed as a dependent on another taxpayer’s return.<\/p>\n
“Too many families are struggling with rising household energy bills and soaring gas prices at the pump – and that’s why we’re putting money directly back in New Yorkers’ pockets by sending energy rebate checks to millions of families as part of our affordability agenda,” Hochul said in prepared remarks.<\/p>\n
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