You may have $600 waiting for you. How and when to get your money from Miami-Dade

You may have a $617 check in your mailbox just in time for the holidays.

Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava announced that eligible county residents 65 and older will receive the check from the Save Our Seniors Homeowners’ Relief Fund. People who don’t receive Florida’s Homestead Long-Term Senior Exemption may qualify to get the one-time payment in December.

“As our economy continues to grow, costs are also rising. It is critical that we make sure our residents, especially our seniors, can continue to live and thrive here,” said Cava in a statement. “My hope is that this check will help with some year-end expenses and bring some relief to those who need it most.”

The $18 million to support the Save Our Seniors Homeowners’ Relief Fund comes from the mayor’s 2023-24 county budget that was approved in September.

Do you qualify? The Miami Herald asked the mayor’s office. Here’s what you need to know.

KNOW MORE: Florida is holding nearly $3 billion of your property. Here’s how to claim your share

What are the qualifications?

▪ Qualifications for the Save our Seniors payment: Must be a Miami-Dade County property owner, 65 or older as of Jan. 1, 2023.

▪ Must also be enrolled in the Senior Exemption for property taxes through the Miami-Dade County Property Appraiser, which includes income eligibility requirements. The Save Our Seniors fund had provided grants of $100 for homeowners earning less than $35,167 a year before it was boosted in the current budget by an additional $517. In previous years, seniors with the Florida Homestead Long-term Senior Exemption did not qualify to receive these checks, but for 2023, this disqualification was removed, according to Cava’s office.

How do you apply?

▪ Qualifying seniors don’t have to do anything to receive their check. This payment is automatic if they meet the criteria, the mayor’s office said.

▪ To apply for the Senior Citizen Exemption if you haven’t already: Visit www.miamidade.gov/pa/exemptions_homestead_senior.asp to fill out a household income statement.

When will you see a check?

▪ The checks were mailed to qualifying seniors between Dec. 13 and 14, and many seniors should already have their checks, the mayor’s office said.

Can you ask for the money to be a direct deposit?

▪ Direct deposit is not an option for these payments.

How was the relief fund figured?

Why $617, you may wonder?

Simple math.

The adopted budget for the fiscal 2023-24 year included an $18 million allocation toward the Save Our Senior Program. This amount was divided by the number of qualifying seniors — a total of 36,138 residents — which equals $617 for each check.

Questions?

If you have any questions about the Save Our Seniors Homeowners’ Relief Fund, call 311.