Legislation creating a relief rebate for many Delawareans advances in House Administration committee.
The 2022 Delaware Relief Rebate Program would create a one-time direct payment of $300 per Delaware resident taxpayer.
The program would be funded using this year’s nearly $1 billion budget surplus.
The relief rebate is to help residents deal with inflation, specifically the rise in grocery and gas prices.
The one-time payment would go to those who filed a 2020 personal income tax return, and no action would be required by those who filed in 2020.
State Rep. Valerie Longhurst is the primary sponsor, and she says resident taxpayers don’t have to do a thing to receive the payment.
"Delawareans who have filed their 2020 income tax will receive a payment by mail. They don't have to take any action to receive that rebate. Payments will go out about six weeks after the bill is enacted, and this group of taxpayers holds more than 600,000 Delawareans," said Longhurst.
The $300 is not subject to Delaware income taxes.
Longhurst says those who didn’t file 2020 income taxes because they weren’t required to are eligible for the rebate.
"This covers those who didn't earn enough to pay income taxes like seniors and students in very poor areas. Somewhere around 150,000 Delawareans could fall into this category,” said Longhurst. “The Department of Finance will come through the database held by other state agencies like the DMV to find more residents who are eligible for the rebate and send them checks as they are identified."
Longhurst notes a website will be created where those not identified can apply and receive the relief rebate subject to verification of their identity and eligibility.
The legislation now heads to the full House.
