Elder Food Security; Disability Food Security; Economic Impact Recovery Program: Dependent; Economic Impact Recovery Program: Adult
Bundle of four federally funded COVID-19 relief programs run by the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma using American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Fiscal Recovery Funds: Elder Food Security, Disability Food Security, and Economic Impact Recovery payments for adult and dependent tribal citizens. Elder (ages 55-74 with income under $40,000, or 75+ at any income) and Disability (ages 18-54 with a qualifying disability) recipients received a $200/month grocery allowance via debit card. Economic Impact Recovery provided $1,000/year to adults (18-54) and $700/year to dependents (0-17) toward living, technology, and internet expenses. Disbursement began September 1, 2021, funded from the Nation's $944,425,951 (2021) plus $149,926,190 (later) ARPA allocations, and all four programs required Choctaw Nation tribal citizenship and attestation of negative COVID-19 impact.
ARPA, COVID-19 relief, Native American, Tribal nation, Food security, Economic impact payments, Elder benefits, Disability benefits, Prepaid debit card
Headquarters
- Organization Name
- Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma
- City
- Durant
- State / Province
- Oklahoma
- Country
- United States
Contact
- Phone
- +1 800-522-6170
Status & Funding
- Organization status
- Active
- Program status
- Inactive
- Application status
- Timed
- Number of recipients
- 200,000
- Funding type
- Government
Benefits
- Currency Type
- Fiat
- Currency
- USD
- Total Amount
- 4,800 USD
- Avg. Per Month
- 200 USD
- Payment frequency
- Variable
- How long the program lasts
- 24 months
- Distribution Type
- Debit Card
- Benefit details
Economic Impact Recovery: adults 18-54 received $1,000/year for 2 years ($2,000 total); dependents 0-17 received $700/year for 2 years ($1,400 total); both paid on pre-loaded debit cards for internet, technology, and living expenses (rent, mortgage, utilities, food). Elder Food Security and Disability Food Security both paid a $200/month grocery allowance; the final ARPA-compliant round issued October/November 2024 payments of $200 each, then loaded a $2,000 lump sum in December 2024 intended to cover recipients through September 2025. Applicants could only receive one Food Security benefit (Elder or Disability, not both). Payment cadence therefore varied by sub-program: monthly, annual, and lump-sum.
Eligibility
Overview
- Eligibility details
All four programs require Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma tribal citizenship (or eligibility to enroll, for dependents), U.S. residency, and attestation of negative impact from the COVID-19 public health emergency. Elder Food Security: ages 55-74 with individual income under $40,000, or 75+ at any income level. Disability Food Security: ages 18-54 with proof of Social Security or VA disability determination, or ages 55-74 with income over $40,000. Economic Impact Recovery was open to all adult (18+) and dependent (newborn-17) tribal citizens regardless of income or disability status. Reapplication was required for repeat Food Security recipients each funding round.
Demographics
- Minimum age
- 0
- Race / ethnicity targets
- Native American (enrolled Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma citizens)
Health
- Health conditions
- COVID-19 (self-attested negative impact from the COVID-19 public health emergency required for all sub-programs)
Financial
- Income limit (annual household)
- $40,000
Citizenship
- Tribal enrollment required
- Yes
Geography
- Countries covered
- United States
Application Process
- How to apply
Applications were submitted through the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma's online services/application portal for each program. Economic Impact Recovery applications were open roughly September 1, 2021 through June 30 of the following application cycle. Food Security (Elder/Disability) applications for the final ARPA allocation round closed September 30, 2024. Both required supporting documentation (income verification for Elder Food Security; Social Security or VA disability approval for Disability Food Security).
- Selection process
No lottery or competitive selection is described; applicants who met the published eligibility criteria (tribal citizenship, age, income and/or disability documentation, COVID-19 impact attestation) and submitted required documentation were approved.
