Since October 2022, California has given out money to help with living costs, but over 600,000 people haven’t gotten theirs yet, and about $125 million is still untouched on debit cards, so people need to activate and use their cards before April 30, 2026.
Over 600,000 Californians Yet to Claim Direct Payments for Rising Living Costs
According to the published article of Fox 5 San Diego, since October 2022, California has been giving money directly to people known as Middle Class Tax Refund Program to help with the rising cost of living. But this Middle Class Tax Refund Program has more than 600,000 Americans who still haven’t gotten their share. These Middle Class Tax Refund payments, ranging from $200 to $1,050, were sent through bank deposits or on debit cards by the state’s tax board.
Even though about 7.2 million people got their Middle Class Tax Refund money through direct deposit, there are still many who got debit cards in the mail and haven’t used them. That’s around 90% of the cards sent out meaning there’s about $125 million still untouched. But people have about two more years to activate and use their cards before they lose their benefits.
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$1.25 Billion in Unclaimed Inflation Relief: California’s Middle Class Tax Refund Program Leaves 600,000 Beneficiaries in the Dark! (PHOTO: GV Wire)
Unused California Direct Payments Risk Expiry if Not Spent by April 30, 2026
Furthermore, some people have activated their cards but they’re not spending the money. The tax board says that less than half of the activated cards have been used at all. If people don’t spend their money before April 30, 2026, they’ll lose it. So they need to activate their cards and use the money they’re entitled to.
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