How the Stimulus puts more in your pocket

The $787 billion stimulus bill was signed into law Tuesday. Now people want to know when they'll get some money in their pockets.

Robin Davis from Warner Robins wrote to us and asked, "How soon after the stimulus bill is signed will we start seeing a difference in our pay and unemployment checks in Georgia?"

The bill has a category that gives more money to the unemployed. It provides a $25 a week increase in unemployment insurance benefits to 505,000 Georgians.

Sam Hall with the Department of Labor in Atlanta says as of February 17th, the average weekly unemployment pay to Georgians is $274 for 11.5 weeks. He says the maximum for unemployment is $330 a week for 26 weeks.

The bill also continues a program through December 2009 that provides up to 33 weeks of extended unemployment benefits. That will affect around 100,000 Georgians.

Doug Moore, spokesman for Congressman Jim Marshall, says since the bill was signed it technically goes into law immediately. But he says the beaurocratic system slows down the process a bit. He says the unemployed should see more money very quickly. Possibly on their next check.

For the working, the bill also includes a payroll tax deduction. Moore says you don't see that money in the form of a check, but you'll have fewer taxes taken out of your pay for the rest of the year.He says it could take anywhere from two weeks to a month to see a difference in your pay check.

So, if you're unemployed, you should see more money coming your way soon and if you're working, your paychecks should be a little bigger within the next month.