Fourth Stimulus Check Update: New Checks Going Out Despite Being ‘Biggest Cause’ Of Inflation – By Lauren Dubois (IB Times) / Oct 8, 2022
Americans are eager for any aid they can get from the government as they continue to battle sky-high inflation and rising prices. However, at the same time, some are also questioning if checks are part of the reason they are dealing with increased prices in the first place.
According to a September survey from Pollfish of 500 adults, 44% of Americans blamed government spending—which includes stimulus checks—for being the “biggest cause” of inflation, followed by corporate greed at 32% and supply chain issues at 23%. However, 75% also supported the idea of stimulus checks being given as a response to inflationary pressure.
The survey’s findings come as many states have also started doling out checks to their residents, thanks in large part to a surplus in state budgets. California is one of the states sending out checks, with up to 23 million residents in the state expected to start receiving payments of as much as $1,050. These payments may have a modest impact on inflation but aren’t expected to have the same effect that checks from a federal level have had.
While Americans may support receiving payments despite feeling they might cause higher inflation, they aren’t the only ones who feel that the checks may be partly to blame for some of the pain they feel now. Experts have previously warned that checks do have a direct effect on inflation because more money on hand leads to more demand for goods and services that are in shorter supply—driving the costs up as a result.
