Residents of California have only a few days left to apply for a guaranteed income scheme that could net them $500 per month for the next year and a half.

The application window for The City of Pomona Household Universal Grants Program (Pomona HUG) will close on July 8 at 11 p.m. PST. The scheme will issue a total of $9,000 to eligible Pomona residents with young children over the course of 18 months to be spent however the recipient sees fit—with no need for the grant to be paid back.

While a total of 600 eligible applicants will be randomly selected through a lottery system, not all will receive the monthly $500 payment. Of those selected, 250 will receive the monthly payment, while a second control group of 350 people will get $20 per month along with additional resources and support services.

Newsweek has reached out to Forward, the administering body for Pomona HUG, via email for comment.

The guaranteed income scheme is one of several being trialed throughout the U.S., with several other counties offering similar amounts for residents—particularly those with low- or no-incomes. Some guaranteed income schemes have been struck down by lawmakers because they have been deemed to be unconstitutional.

Am I Eligible?

• You live in the city of Pomona at the time of application and are 18 or older.
• You are the parent or legal guardian of a child under four years old at the time of applying.
• You fall into at least one of the following categories: you experienced negative impact due to the COVID-19 pandemic; your home address is located within a qualified census tract (QCT); you are currently receiving benefits such as Federal Pell Grants, Medicaid or MediCal, Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP); or your household income is at or below 65 percent of the Area Median Income (AMI).
• You must agree to informed research consent.

How to Apply

Applications opened on June 17. For those still wishing to apply, you will need documents like proof of ID (such as a driver’s license or passport) and proof of Pomona residency (such as a recent utility bill or rental/mortgage agreement). You will also need to provide details for your child, such as a birth certificate or passport.

Applications can be submitted online. If you need in-person support, details can be found here.

When Will Payments Be Made?

Once applications close, the lottery to determine group assignments will take place on July 10, followed by a review period from July 10 to August 1.

Approved applicants will be notified of their successful applications on August 12, and the first payments will be issued via reloadable debit cards on August 26.

Researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles, will monitor both groups to see how the income scheme affects them.

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