Millions of Americans filed for first-time unemployment benefits in March but 71% of them did not receive their benefits that month, delaying aid as laid-off workers struggled to pay rent and cover basic expenses, according to an analysis of Labor Department data by the Pew Research Center. Just 2.1 million of about 7.37 million applicants received their benefits, mostly through their states’ regular unemployment insurance programs.
The March tally includes self-employed people and gig workers who were previously ineligible for unemployment benefits. The $2.2 trillion coronavirus relief package approved by Congress in March expanded eligibility to those workers and added additional payments. States are only now starting to ramp up efforts to process those applications.
I applied March 22 and have received three notices that they paid me 0 dollars.
So this is May 1.
Five weeks with 0 income.
Illinois.
AC