FINANCIAL RESOURCES FOR RESIDENTS IMPACTED BY COVID-19
The Department of Public Social Services is aware of the financial impact that the Coronavirus is having on the health and financial well-being of County of Los Angeles residents, leaving thousands unemployed or underemployed. The department has provided the below resources to help residents who may be experiencing financial challenges due to the pandemic:
IF YOU HAVE HAD YOUR HOURS CUT, BEEN FURLOUGHED, OR LAID OFF:
If your employer has reduced your hours or shut down operations due to COVID-19, you can file for unemployment insurance. If you are expecting to return to your job after the dust settles, you do not have to be actively seeking new work during the outbreak. But you must be "able and available to work" to get these benefits, which generally range from $40-$450 per week for up to six months.
https://edd.ca.gov/Unemployment/Filing_a_Claim.htm
IF YOU ARE CURRENTLY SICK WITH THE CORONAVIRUS OR HAVE BEEN EXPOSED:
Individuals who are unable to work due to having or being exposed to COVID-19 (certified by a medical professional) can file a Disability Insurance (DI) claim.
Disability Insurance provides short-term benefit payments to eligible workers who have full or partial loss of wages due to a non-work-related illness, injury, or pregnancy. Benefit amounts are approximately 60-70 percent of wages (depending on income) and range from $50 - $1,300 a week. https://edd.ca.gov/Disability/How_to_File_a_DI_Claim_in_SDI_Online.htm/t_blank?fbclid=IwAR37UBdHJK4O3IRzK9Ff_sY1xdK7LuD1QKeb60xPK_-DC6cvtmF6Ejxbtxw
IF YOU ARE CARING FOR SOMEONE ELSE WHO IS SICK:
Californians who are unable to work because they are caring for an ill or quarantined family member with COVID-19 (certified by a medical professional) can file a Paid Family Leave (PFL) claim. Paid Family Leave provides up to six weeks of benefit payments to eligible workers who have a full or partial loss of wages because they need time off work to care for a seriously ill family member or to bond with a new child. Benefit amounts are approximately 60-70 percent of wages (depending on income) and range from $50-$1,300 a week.
RESTRANING ORDERS:
DV victims should call 911 and not to go to the station in person due to pending closures.
SEEKING PEER SUPPORT NETWORK:
Project Return Peer Support Network (PRPSN) is committed to meeting the community where they're at and offering over the phone, non-crisis support services to those in need. Here are some of the ways you can continue to utilize our services as we focus on safety during the Coronavirus outbreak:
If you are experiencing a crisis or emergency, please call:
Suicide Prevention: 877.727.4747 Suicide Prevention (Spanish) 877.628.9455
FOOD CHILDREN AND YOUTH (0-17)
Food: LAUSD is opening 60 sites providing two grab-and-go meals for students and families beginning on Wednesday, March 18th from 7am to 10am.
(For more information, click here!)
Map of all LAUSD Campuses serving food for k-12: https://www.lataco.com/lausd-free-meals/
Food: List of all Alliance Campuses serving food from March 16-27 on weekdays from 8am to 12pm (for Alliance Charter School Scholars only)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1X6VnrH-QweHJnoHNeMCztgKF_8nnVPqG/view
Utilities
EveryoneOn.org - Everyone On is a leading nonprofit that helps advocate at the local, state and federal level for affordable internet service and is connected to hundreds of local organizations across the country that can provide on-the-ground individual support (i.e. over the phone now, in person at a later date) to people that need help signing up. There are low-cost offers for low-income folks or families with K-12 students that Everyone On helped create and are available year-round, not only during emergency situations. Use their offer locator to find internet offers, and refurbished computers by zip code that are available now!
Southern California Edison Responds to COVID-19 Emergency, Suspends Service Disconnections (Source/More Information)
o Eligibility: All Residential and Commercial Customers
o Effective immediately, SCE will suspend disconnections for non-payment
o Flexible Payment Plans to Impacted Customers
- Eligibility: Customers who contact SCE and self-identify as being impacted financially by the COVID-19 emergency
- Customers with current accounts – Will be offered a one-time, up to 60-day, extension
- Customers with past due amounts – Will be offered up to 6-month payment arrangement
- SCE will work with the customer to accommodate a customer’s unique situation that may result in a payment arrangement for up to 12 months (Source/More Information)
- Edison International is giving $1M to community-based organizations to help #SoCal communities facing economic hardship because of quarantines, illnesses or school closures, starting with $150K to support the CA Community Foundation’s #COVID19 #LACounty Response Fund (For more information, click here!)
SPECTRUM Internet beginning Monday, March 16, 2020 and for the following 60 days:
o Offers secure public wifi hotspots
o Offers to continue their Spectrum Internet Assist program: high-speed broadband program to eligible low-income households
o Offers two free months of internet and WiFi services for K-12 and college students affected by the current school closures, in households not already subscribed to Spectrum Internet
(For more information, click here!)
T-Mobile, for next 60 days:
o ALL current T-Mobile and Metro by T-Mobile customers have unlimited smartphone data for the next 60 days (excluding roaming)
o Giving all T-Mobile and Metro by T-Mobile customers 20GB of add’l mobile hotspot data
o Increasing data for schools in our EmpowerED program to ensure each participant has access to at least 20GB of data per month
o Making it free to call severely impacted countries
o Are working with our Lifeline partners to provide customers extra free data up to 5GB per month over the next two months
(For more information, click here!)
AT&T, For the next 60 days beginning March 14th, 2020, AT&T is pledging to
o Not terminate the service of any wireless, home phone or broadband residential or small business customer because of their inability to pay their bill due to disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic
o Waive any late payment fees that any wireless, home phone or broadband residential or small business customer may incur because of economic hardship related to the coronavirus pandemic
o Keep our public Wi-Fi hotspots open
Los Angeles Department of Water & Power still offering payment plan and suspending utility shut off for March (for now)
A Message from LADWP Regarding Power and Water Service During Coronavirus/COVID-19 Pandemic
Public Works will not shut off or stop services for customers who are delinquent or behind in service or permit payments until this order is lifted. This includes water, sewer and trash pick-up services. For any inquires, Public Works' 24 hour/7 day dispatch number is 800-675-435