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A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC. Gothamist Listen Live Donate News Gov. Hochul expected to send rebate checks to New Yorkers shortly before Election Day By Jimmy Vielkind Published Jul 29, 2026 at 6:30 a.m. ET
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The latest round of rebate checks for New York taxpayers will be arriving in September and October — on the eve of an election — according to a person familiar with the matter.
The checks for up to $200 were approved by Gov. Kathy Hochul and lawmakers as part of the $277 billion state budget adopted in June. The Democratic governor said the $1 billion rebate program is designed to help people facing higher utility bills.
The early autumn timing, though, prompted Republicans to claim that the program is a gimmick.
“Any time it’s a rebate program or something during an election year, you can bet your bottom dollar it's going to be September or October when you receive it,” said state Sen. Dean Murray, a Suffolk County Republican. “I am sure people are going to be happy to receive this rebate, but it feels like a Band-Aid on a much bigger wound.”
State officials estimate more than 8 million people will receive checks. To qualify for a payment, a taxpayer had to be a full-time resident of New York in 2024, according to the bill language. Married tax filers reporting up to $300,000 and single taxpayers reporting up to $150,000 of income are eligible. People with lower incomes will get more money.
“Gov. Hochul has said repeatedly that utility rates are too high,” Hochul spokesperson Ken Lovett said. “The energy rebate checks that will go out beginning this fall are designed to provide some relief for overburdened ratepayers who are dealing with higher prices across the board thanks to dangerous policies coming out of Washington.”
Lovett declined to comment on the exact timing of the checks. The source who said the checks will go out in September and October asked not to be named because they weren’t authorized to speak about them.
This is the second year that the state has sent rebate checks to taxpayers in the fall. Hochul pushed in 2025 for an “inflation rebate” that used surplus state cash to individual New Yorkers.
Republicans and some progressive Democrats criticized the program, arguing the money could be better spent on other items. Fiscal watchdogs also said the state should use extra money to bolster its reserves rather than on a one-time stimulus program.
But other groups said the checks provide important relief to people who are struggling to make ends meet. Many New Yorkers around the state have faced sticker shock this summer while running their air conditioning during heatwaves.
A survey of New Yorkers over age 50 released in March by AARP NY found 84% of respondents were paying higher monthly bills than in 2025, and 56% said they kept their home at uncomfortable temperatures due to high costs.
Bill Ferris, the group’s legislative representative, said he welcomes the checks — regardless of when they are sent.
“It was a terrible winter. We saw some of the highest utility bills,” he said, adding that ratepayers should be given more of a say in the way state regulators consider rate hikes. “This is a welcome check to help individuals out – especially older persons who live on fixed incomes.”
Jimmy Vielkind covers how state government and politics affect people throughout New York. He has covered Albany since 2008, most recently as a reporter for The Wall Street Journal. Jimmy led a team of reporters that won a New York Press Club award for coverage of Andrew Cuomo’s downfall and was on a team that won a Gerald Loeb Award for coverage of Amazon’s HQ2 process. A native of the Capitol Region, Jimmy has two degrees in urban planning. His position is funded by a grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Reach Jimmy at [email protected] .
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