In February 2025, American families who rely on government aid may notice some changes in stimulus payment schedules and eligibility criteria due to updates at the start of the year.
Sacramento Family First Program
Families in Sacramento, California can take advantage of the Sacramento Family First (FFESP) pilot program, designed to help offset the high cost of living caused by inflation.
This program provides eligible families with $725 every month for one year. The timeline for these payments spans from December last year until November 2025.
To keep receiving payments, families need to stay in Sacramento and meet the income criteria, set at less than 200% of the federal poverty level. The payments are directly deposited into bank accounts that are linked to the families' tax returns.
Check out: $2,000 Child Tax Credit: How It Will Impact Your 2025 IRS Tax Return
Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend
Residents of Alaska have the opportunity to receive the Permanent Fund Dividend (PFD) in February. This dividend is funded by the revenue generated from the state’s mineral royalties and is meant to benefit current and future Alaskans.
The dividend amount each resident receives is calculated based on the number of eligible residents and is partially funded by the state’s net income from the previous five years.
Several financial considerations like previous year dividends and operational costs, also factor into the final payment amount.
For 2024, the amount was set at $1,702 per person. According to the official timelines:
- Eligible claims from 2024 and before, pending as of January 8, 2025, were paid on January 16, 2025.
- Claims pending as of February 12, 2025, will be paid on February 20, 2025.
- Future distributions for eligible claims as of March 12, 2025, are scheduled for March 20, 2025.
- The specific requirement for this dividend is that residents must have lived in Alaska for the entire previous year and plan to reside there indefinitely.
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