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Monday, October 19, 2026

Massachusetts low-income workers to receive $500 in March - WWLP.com

CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) – Low-income workers in Massachusetts will receive $500 payments as part of the COVID-19 Essential Employee Premium Pay program, announced by the Baker-Polito Administration Tuesday.

The first round of payments will be distributed in March to 500,000 Massachusetts residents that made more than $12,750 from employment and meet the total eligible income. These payments represent the first round of funds to be distributed as part of the $460 million program, which was enacted in December when Governor Baker signed a $4 billion spending plan for American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds.

Eligibility for these payments by household size:

“I was pleased to sign the COVID-19 Essential Employee Premium Pay program into law in December, and our Administration has worked quickly to design the parameters for the program with plans to efficiently begin distribution of these payments by the end of March,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “This program will support those workers who served our communities, especially early in the pandemic.”

“This first round of payments to low-income workers will provide meaningful support for individuals who continued to work despite the global pandemic,” said Lt. Governor Karyn Polito. “We are pleased that our Administration has been able to quickly design this program to get funds out the door to those workers who the program is intended to support.”

COVID-19 Essential Employee Premium Pay Program

Eligibility Parameters

Based on...



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