ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. — Late Monday night, U.S. Senate passed the COVID-19 relief bill.
The bill moves to President Donald Trump, who is expected to sign it in the coming days.
It will have direct payments to Americans and offer unemployment benefits. Millions are unemployed right now, including one St. Louis County dad we spoke to. He says it's been a struggle to take care of his seven kids and he's been waiting for a package deal like this one.
Back in March, Kevin Mitchell got this message from his job: "Boeing Leadership Center said we have to shut down."
That's when Mitchell was furloughed.
Since then, the Florissant dad has been jobless.
"We didn’t know how to make ends meet, how things were going to keep going, especially with my children," Mitchell said.
Just like millions of Americans, Mitchell filed for unemployment.
But federal funds ran out.
"My unemployment ran out, so it left us with nothing... not knowing how we were going to survive," he said.
With this new stimulus package in the works, some money is on the way for the unemployed. It will include $300 per week per unemployed individual. It is not retroactive.
This 11-week setup begins Dec. 26 and runs through March 14.
Dan Schindler from Anders CPA explains another helpful tool in the deal.
"It does also include the Pandemic Unemployment Compensation Program where it allows for self-employed individuals to be eligible for unemployment which prior to the pandemic, they were not eligible," he said.
Washington University Professor of Finance Radha Gopalan says this is crucial because it may take some time for the unemployment rate to come close to pre-pandemic levels.
"We are looking at a year to 18 months. People are really struggling and these unemployment benefits help them keep their head above water," Gopalan says.
Until then, Mitchell is thankful for the chunk of change helping his family stay afloat.
"Anything beats zero and any help is always grateful," he said.
If you'd like to help Mitchell's family, here is a GoFundMe link.
Organizations like the Urban League have helped families like the Mitchells. If you need any assistance, you can reach out to them here.
As far as the stimulus package, Gopalan says it is just not sufficient. He expects a new one will be created when the new administration comes in.
