ST. LOUIS — As the stress of paying the bills weighs on Americans, relief could be on the way as early as next week. It comes in the form of weekly payments from the federal government.
People affected by the coronavirus pandemic who qualify for unemployment will receive weekly payments of $600 dollars as part of the CARES act. The Missouri Department of Labor said Monday that the payments are expected to begin going out to recipients as early as the week of April 12.
"We have already begun the process for the required system changes and have been anxiously awaiting the final guidance to code the specific rules and procedures into DES’ online customer service portal (UInteract)," Missouri Division of Employment Security Director Chris Slinkard said in a press release.
"Once the changes have been made and properly tested, the new code will go into production, and the new program payments will begin."
Aid from the $2 trillion stimulus package comes as more than 100,000 unemployment claims were filed in Missouri for the week ending on March 28.
The number of claims skyrocketed exponentially, climbing nearly 150% higher than claims filed the week prior.
The supplement is effective for the week beginning March 29. Those who filed on or after March 29 will receive retroactive $600 payments.
Those who receive other unemployment benefits, like the military, can still qualify for the aid.
The last payable week for these payments ends July 25.
Missourians can file for unemployment via the labor department's website.
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