Stimulus Check Update: Thousands in California To Get Late Payments

Thousands of Californians who missed out on getting their Middle Class Tax Refund payment will receive it by the end of this month.

Most residents got a payment last year of up to $1,050 depending on their income, filing status and whether they had children. The Democratic-controlled state Legislature approved the one-time payments to eligible Californians to help offset record high gas prices.

"We know it's expensive right now, and California is putting money back into your pockets to help," California Gov. Gavin Newsom said about the payments in October last year. "We're sending out refunds worth over a thousand dollars to help families pay for everything from groceries to gas."

Now, the state's Franchise Tax Board (FTB) has confirmed that 5,000 payments will be issued by the end of September for those who qualified but never received it.

"Although FTB issued the vast majority of all payments by late January this year, we have continued to issue first-time payments based on updated address information and for taxpayers who contacted us to review their eligibility," FTB spokesman Andrew LePage said in a statement to local news station KCRA.

The batch is expected to be the last set of new payments. But LePage said that there could still be some cases going forward where people are reissued money, such as if they lost their debit card or if their payment sent to a previous address was returned.

Newsweek has contacted the FTB for further comment via email.

A total of $9.2 billion in Middle Class Tax Refund payments have been issued so far, according to data from the FTB. That includes 7.2 million direct deposits and 9.6 million debit cards.

Of the cards that have been sent out, 87 percent had been activated for a total value of $4.6 billion as of September 11, the data shows. That means 13 percent of the cards sent to more than a million people haven't been activated or used.

Of the cards that have been activated, more than half still have money loaded onto them. Only 45 percent have a zero balance, the FTB says.

The cards expire in April 2026 and the board is sending out letters to people who have not activated their debit card with instructions on how to do so.

Those who need assistance with activation, or with replacing a lost or stolen card, can contact Money Network at 800-240-0223 or visit their website.

Californians can calculate the amount of their payment using a tool on the FTB's website.