500 dollars are on the way for residents of Cook County, in Illinois. It has been the Government itself that has confirmed that the monthly payment program will continue in 2026 and is on its way to becoming permanent because the first results were especially positive for the local commerce of this area.
2026 will arrive with an investment of millions of dollars and a clear objective, which is to relieve the financial situation of thousands of families that are not in their best economic moment, and in the middle of the national debate about direct payments to the population, this payment is quite more than a lot.
Permanent in US
Cook County has reserved 7.5 million dollars from the 2026 budget to maintain the monthly payments of 500 dollars to its residents. This program has been running since 2022, and uses federal emergency funds that are allocated to more than 3,200 households with very low incomes, for many it was almost impossible to make it to the end of the month with the money they had.
And the impact on families has been enough to convince the county that it is worth continuing to invest in these payments, even if that means depending less and less on federal aid and on its own resources.
Who will be able to receive the 500 dollar payments?
There are still no definitive rules for the next phase, but everything points to the fact that it will continue focusing on families with lower incomes, and not a universal payment.
Eligibility will be reviewed by the local department in charge of economic development, and the details (everything related to dates, requirements and similar things) will arrive throughout next year. And the big question is to know if those who participated in the pilot will be able to take part or if it will be a completely new process.
Is this universal basic income?
No, it is not universal basic income, that would be if it worked for all people and there were no filters for eligibility, this is guaranteed income directed at vulnerable population and with the intention of reducing poverty and extreme precariousness that is lived in this county.
Universal basic income vs. this income
| Universal Basic Income (UBI) | Guaranteed Income (GI) | |
| What it is | Everyone gets a set amount of money every month, just for being alive. | Monthly cash for people who don’t earn enough to cover basic needs. |
| Who gets it | Everyone (rich, poor, working, unemployed… ) | Only people who qualify based on income or other criteria. |
| Strings attached? | Nope. No forms, no proof, no checking your bank account. | Yes. You need to prove you meet the requirements. |
| Why it exists | To give everyone a basic financial cushion and simplify welfare. | To help people who are struggling so they don’t fall into extreme poverty. |
| How it works | Money goes to everyone automatically, regardless of need. | Money goes to specific groups, usually on a recurring basis. |
What do people think?
As always, there are divided opinions. Social organizations and those who have benefited from the pilot program are grateful because 500$ is a lot of money for a family that does not have it, for rent, food, medical or school expenses… But for others it is an expensive program (because they do not need it, of course) and they believe that it is difficult to sustain and dangerous because it will make many people stop working to receive this money, as if with 500$ you could have a decent life…
And in the state context…
We have said that this payment corresponds only to Cook County, but in Washington they are considering 2,000 dollars to millions of Americans, financed with tariff income, and the idea has been from Trump (wow), and it will exclude those who have high incomes…
And are there no problems with this payment?
Of course, imagine that it would be 2,000 dollars to 150 million people, which would mean a total of 300,000 million dollars (that we do not know where they are going to come from because current tariff income is around 120,000 million…)
On the other hand, they need approval from Congress, and it does not seem that they are going to agree very much on this.