Middle-Class Americans Slam Plan To Change Income Limits for $1,400 Stimulus Checks, Say It Feels Like a 'Targeted Attack'

By Mary Anne R. First Posted: Feb 09, 2021 04:22 AM EST

Congress is reportedly considering lowering the income eligibility threshold for the third round of stimulus checks to $50,000 for individuals and $100,000 for married couples. That's a decrease from the previous two stimulus checks, which started phasing out at $75,000 for individuals and $150,000 for couples.

Because of this, many are now worried about whether they would still be eligible for the third round of stimulus checks, such as the case of Marie, who asked to be identified by middle name to protect her privacy.

Marie, who earned around $60,000 in 2019, said even though she has kept her job as an executive assistant throughout the pandemic, her budget has still been stretched thin, according to a CNBC report.

Marie's employer reduced her salary by 15 percent, and she no longer picks up an extra income as a part-time Uber driver due to safety concerns. She also had to pay for her son's daycare to keep his spot despite her son being at home with her when the pandemic started.

Marie reportedly accrued around $4,000 in debt over the course of the pandemic and currently two months late on daycare payments.

"I was banking on that money... Taking money away from people after you've promised it to them is not the way to start," Marie told CNBC.

Marie noted that changing it and setting a strict cutoff is wrong and unreasonable for anybody who lives in a high-cost-of-living area.

Marie is not the only one worrying about the eligibility for the $1,400 payment. Brian Jensvold also expressed his concerns. Jensvold is a 32-year-old IT specialist in Oregon and makes just over $60,000 per year.

He also rents out two bedrooms in his home, and before the pandemic, he occasionally worked as a ride-share driver for extra income. But when the pandemic came, he lost his tenants for a few months when they could no longer afford the rent. He also stopped driving part-time due to safety concerns.

Jensvold said it is short-sighted for politicians to base stimulus check eligibility on 2019 income when many lives changed dramatically in 2020. He added that the change on income limits for $1,400 stimulus checks "feels like a targeted attack to those of us in the middle."

Fewer People May Qualify for the $1,400 Stimulus Checks

President Joe Biden has reportedly signaled that he's open to restricting the number of people who would receive them based on their income, according to another report.

Democrats are reportedly considering sending the $1,400 payments to individuals based on the stricter income threshold.

On the other hand, Republicans have proposed sending $1,000 checks to individuals earning up to $40,000 per year, phasing out completely at $50,000. The Democrats' plan is not released to the public as many details are not yet available, including what year the income requirements would be based on.

The earlier income threshold allows 85 percent of Americans to qualify for a direct payment, while 71 percent qualify when it is decreased to the $50,000 limitation.

Biden and many Democrats believe a third round of stimulus payments is needed for families financially struggling to pay their bills and other expenses. Some said that a more targeted approach would get the money to families who are most in need.