LEVEL UP
LEVEL UP is a guaranteed income pilot launched in 2022 by the City of Mount Vernon, NY, providing 200 low-income residents with $500 per month for 12 months via a prepaid debit card. The roughly $1.2 million program was funded with federal American Rescue Plan Act dollars administered by the city. It was launched in partnership with Mayors for a Guaranteed Income (MGI) and evaluated through a randomized controlled trial led by research firm Abt Associates. Applications opened in July 2022, and monthly disbursements ran from approximately April 2023 through March 2024, with the pilot concluding in 2024.
Guaranteed Income, Mayors for a Guaranteed Income, Randomized Controlled Trial, Westchester County, American Rescue Plan
Headquarters
- Organization Name
- City of Mount Vernon
- City
- Mount Vernon
- State / Province
- New York
- Country
- United States
Contact
Status & Funding
- Organization status
- Active
- Program status
- Inactive
- Application status
- Timed
- Number of recipients
- 200
- Funding type
- Government
Benefits
- Currency Type
- Fiat
- Currency
- USD
- Total Amount
- 6,000 USD
- Avg. Per Month
- 500 USD
- Payment frequency
- Monthly
- How long the program lasts
- 12 months
- Distribution Type
- Debit Card
- Benefit details
Participants received $500 per month for 12 months (total $6,000) loaded onto a prepaid debit card, with no restrictions on spending and no work requirements. Recipients were also connected to financial counseling. The pilot used a randomized controlled trial design, with a comparison group of eligible non-recipients tracked alongside the 200 payment recipients. Independent evaluation findings reported recipients were better able to afford food and rent, increase savings, pay down debt, and find work, along with improved family and community well-being.
Eligibility
Overview
- Eligibility details
Applicants had to be Mount Vernon residents at least 18 years old with an annual household income of at least $15,000 but no more than 80% of the HUD Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Annual Income Limit. A two-week online application window opened July 20, 2022. Participants were then randomly selected by lottery/RCT process from the pool of eligible applicants.
Demographics
- Minimum age
- 18
Financial
- Income as % of Area Median Income
- 8,015,000 %
Geography
- US states covered
- New York
- Countries covered
- United States
- Cities covered
- Mount Vernon
- Counties covered
- Westchester
- Residency of Target Geography
- Yes
Participation
- Research / data sharing
- Required
- Complementary program enrollment required
- Financial Counseling
- Research / participation requirements
The pilot was independently evaluated by Abt Associates using a randomized controlled trial comparing 200 recipients to a non-recipient comparison group over 12 months. Reported findings indicate recipients were better able to afford food and rent, increase savings, pay down debt, and find more work, and experienced improved physical/mental health and more time with family.
Application Process
- How to apply
Eligible Mount Vernon residents applied through an online application portal on the program's website during a two-week open enrollment window beginning July 20, 2022.
- Selection process
Participants were randomly selected (lottery/RCT assignment) from the pool of eligible applicants by research partner Abt Associates, which also tracked a comparison group of non-recipients for the evaluation.
