More than 150,000 essential workers in Connecticut received “Hero Pay” during the program, according to the state comptroller.
Comptroller Sean Scanlon said Wednesday that the Premium Pay program has ended and 157,811 essential workers received one-time payments up to $1,000.
The application window closed on Oct. 1 and 152,692 payments were sent in February and March, according to the comptroller.
Over the next three days, 5,119 final payments will be sent to applicants who submitted an appeal after being notified of their initial decision prior to the March 1 deadline, according to Scanlon’s office.
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“I, along with many others, am extremely grateful for our essential workers who were on the frontlines during the early days of the pandemic. They kept our grocery stores open, our hospitals operating, and our communities safe,” Scanlon said in a statement.
“My office has been working diligently to administer this program—the first of its kind—and we are proud to have awarded more than 157,000 essential workers with payments. This is just one small way we can show our appreciation for all they do,” he said.
Who Was Eligible for Hero Pay
To have been eligible, workers must have:
- Worked as an essential worker in Connecticut for the entirety of the time period between March 10, 2020, and May 7, 2022.
- Not been able to work from home.
- Worked in a job categorized by the CDC as 1A or 1B.
- Worked in the private sector.
- Earned $149,999 or less.
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