Kemp announces $350 cash assistance to low-income Georgians

Gov. Brian Kemp announced Monday he plans to distribute one-time $350 payments to Georgians enrolled in certain public benefit programs.

Kemp said the total amount distributed will be more than $1 billion. Georgians who were actively enrolled in Medicaid, food benefits, and the TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) programs by July 31 will receive the benefits.

“This assistance will help some of Georgia's most vulnerable citizens cope with the continued negative economic impact of the COVID-19 public health emergency and 40-yearhigh inflation caused by disastrous policies that were implemented by the Biden administration,” a Kemp statement said.

The funds, which came to the state through the federal American Rescue Plan Act, will be distributed through the Georgia Department of Human Services. Potentially eligible Georgians should log in to their Georgia Gateway accounts to ensure their contact information is updated, the announcement said.

Georgia has a historic budget surplus, in part due to COVID relief funds that flowed into the state from the federal government and partly due to record economic growth.

Last week, Kemp announced that he also plans to provide income tax and property tax rebates to Georgians next year – if he is re-elected in November. Those two relief measures are expected to total $2 billion.

A spokesman for Democrat Stacey Abrams — who is challenging Kemp for the governorship — criticized the announcement as a 'political gimmick.'

This story is available through a news partnership with Capitol Beat News Service, a project of the Georgia Press Educational Foundation.