New $450/week stimulus plan considered by White House

There have been many proposed stimulus plans that have been discussed over the past few weeks. Some of these packages are just too extreme and don’t get any meaningful consideration by parties on the opposing side of the aisle.

But when a proposal does get a level of interest from somewhere like the White House, it’s worth noting because that type of proposal could have real potential.

There’s been a new proposal that would offer workers $450 a week on top of their wages were they to return to work. This payment would be offered until the end of July which is also when the enhanced unemployment benefits that offer $600 per week will expire.

This new proposal is motivated in part because of the current incentives that exist for people to not return to work.

According to an analysis from economists at the University of Chicago, nearly 70% of workers who are receiving enhanced unemployment benefits could actually be receiving more income than they were from their paychecks.

Basically, if you were making $50,000 a year it is more advantageous for you to be on unemployment insurance right now than to go back to work.

And hey, I’m not blaming some individuals for not wanting to get back to work. If the system is set up that way, the system is to blame — not the people relying on the system, in my opinion.

But this $450 a week proposal has received interest from the White House and Democrats might even be interested in supporting it.

“We’ve got to reward individuals for coming back to work,” National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow told Fox Business this week. This back-to-work bonus is “something we’re looking at very carefully.”

Many Republicans have stated that they are looking for a stimulus package that is “narrowly tailored” to benefit the people who need it the most. (One of the biggest oppositions to another round of stimulus checks is that many people will receive them who just flat out don’t need them.)

This solution sounds like something pretty narrowly tailored since it is focused on getting people back to work who have been without work.

Of course, there are many Americans who are not on unemployment but still in need of financial assistance so that $450 a week proposal would not benefit them.

I personally could see this program getting introduced as a way to replace the enhanced unemployment benefits that are currently being offered.

But I can’t see this $450 a week benefit replacing another round of stimulus checks altogether. I still am optimistic that another round of stimulus checks will be going out.

H/T