Millions of people across the country are getting their stimulus checks directly deposited into their bank accounts as the Internal Revenue Service distributes the first wave of payments from the coronavirus relief package.
Individuals are eligible for as much as $1,200 and couples can get up to $2,400 total, while parents can get an additional $500 per child.
Some local individuals have already received their money, which has different value to each person even if it’s for the same dollar amount. Others are left anxiously waiting.
Jennifer Pearl, a server at Drake’s Owensboro with years of experience in the service industry, has not been able to work since the restrictions began. She said it has been hard to adapt, and she needs the money to replace her lost income.
“Being that I am a mother, I really had no other choice but to stay home. There would be no way I could juggle my 5th-grader’s school work, a 2-year-old, and a full-time job,” she said. “It has been stressful, wondering every day if I am going to be receiving money from unemployment.”
There was an issue with Pearl’s unemployment claim, so it’s currently “under investigation.” It has been a month since she’s heard back, and Pearl said she’s wondering if the issue with unemployment will be solved before the ban is lifted.
“It fuels my daily anxiety,” she said.
Pearl said she “most definitely” has to pay for her March and April rent, which will run her about $1,100.
“The rest will have to go toward back pay with OMU,” she said.
Paul Moody, who works at Integrity Nursery and Landscaping, has been able to work regularly during the pandemic. Moody received his stimulus check for $1,200 Wednesday morning and said he has plans to hold on to that money in order to stay ahead.
Though Moody is currently employed, he believes $1,200 isn’t enough for people who are out of work.
“I honestly wish they had done more for people who are unemployed, but I am happy to get anything considering I am still able to work,” he said. “I hope that it will help to get through this time and hopefully help the economy as well.”
Jacy English, owner of Mustard Seed Photography, lost her primary source of income after her business was forced to close because it was deemed non-essential. English said she received no warning and there’s no time frame for how long the shutdown will last.
“There was no time to prepare, no time to get things in order,” she said. “At this point, my clients and I are in a limbo of when we can reschedule dates to capture their special memories.”
Because hers is a small business that pays in taxes each year, the IRS does not have her bank account information. That inevitably means English — and many other small business owners like her — will have to receive their checks via snail mail.
“Although I am eligible for a stimulus check, it likely won’t get to me until the end of May or later,” she said. “But there is no clear, accurate information in regard to timeframes for delivery of paper checks.”
English said she’s worried that her funds will run out before she receives her stimulus check, but said it would go toward the essentials such as bills, groceries and household expenses. Whatever is left over will likely go back into her business.
“It’s putting a bandaid on a bullet wound,” English said. “Sure, $1,200 for a single person is nice, but what if the state stays closed until June? August? $1,200 will barely, if at all, cover a month’s expenses for a small family. It’s unrealistic to believe that this is really the relief our families need.”
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