D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser announced Thursday that 15,000 low-income families will be getting one-time, $1,000 payments this month from a pot of federal funds the city was awarded for COVID-19 relief efforts.

The payments will go to D.C. households currently receiving benefits through the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, which offers monthly cash assistance to low-income residents with children. Currently, a family of four can make no more than $870 a month to qualify for $813 in monthly benefits.

Speaking at a press conference, Bowser said the payments were being timed with the start of school; most D.C. schools open their doors to students on Aug. 29. “We know that’s going to help you get ready with new uniforms, haircuts, supplies, and shoes. That’s going to help you make sure if your kids need supplemental supplies … or extracurricular activities,” she said.

Bowser also said that by giving families the money directly and with no strings attached or requirements for how it would need to be used, it would speed up the process and also allow them to decide how to best use the money.

“Sometimes in government we spend a lot of time on rules and regulations that create red tape that slow down payments and don’t let families make decisions about what’s really necessary for their kids and families,” she said. “We know if we’re giving moms and families what they need to get an early start for the school year, then they’re going to use to for what they need. Some families will decide to use it all on food. Some families, all their kids will need shoes or they may need supplemental educational materials. Or they may need a family night out, and that’s OK.”

The funding for the payments comes from D.C.’s $14.7 million allotment of the $1 billion federal Pandemic Emergency Assistance Fund, which was created by the American Rescue Plan proposed by President Joe Biden and approved by Congress in 2021.

Earlier this year D.C. launched a similar direct cash assistance effort that will see more than 130 families receive up to $900 a month with no strings attached.