The deadline is approaching for Los Angeles residents to apply for a chance to receive $1,000 monthly payments under the city’s new guaranteed income pilot program.
In order to be considered for the cash deposits, eligible residents must submit their information and fill out a survey at bigleap.lacity.org before the 10-day application window closes, which will be at 11:59 p.m. Sunday.
About 3,000 families will be selected to receive $1,000 payments for 12 months under the BIG:LEAP program. There are “no strings attached” and residents will be able to spend the money however they choose, according to L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti.
An additional 3,500 participants will be invited to act as a control group for the research component. The city will study the effects of the program and see the changes between people who had and didn’t have access to the monthly cash infusion.
Only residents who meet the eligibility requirements to participate should apply.
To be eligible, you must :
- Live in the city of Los Angeles
- Be at least 18 years old
- Have at least one dependent under age 18 or a student younger than age 24, or be pregnant
- Have an income level that falls at or below the federal poverty level (see chart here)
- Have experienced COVID-related economic and/or medical hardship
Only those who establish that they meet the criteria for the program can fill out the application on the website (found here).Then, once their eligibility is established, the applicant will be directed to a lengthy questionnaire that officials say takes about 30 minutes to complete.
With daylight saving time ending at 2 a.m. Sunday, residents will get an additional hour to submit their application. Anyone who needs help with the process is encouraged to dial 311.
Also, the city is selecting participants will at random, so it doesn’t matter when the individual submits the application, provided it’s before the deadline.
Only applicants who are picked for the guaranteed basic income program — including those selected for the control group — will be notified. That’s expected to happen in January, when the deposits are scheduled to start.