ST. LOUIS — More than 6,000 payments through the city of St. Louis' direct cash assistance program have been sent out to city residents, a release Friday from Mayor Tishaura Jones' office said. The $500 payments are to help city residents affected by the pandemic.
The 6,000 payments total more than $3 million, or nearly 2/3 of the more than $4 million available for the program. Approved applicants could choose between having the $500 deposited directly or having a physical card mailed to them. An initial analysis of those cards shows people are spending the money on groceries, utilities and other essentials, the release said.
“The City of St. Louis is trying new and innovative ways to support working families who have suffered throughout the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Mayor Tishaura O. Jones in the release. “These payments are helping thousands of families put food on the table and pay the bills, and we continue to work with our partners to move funds as quickly as possible within the guidelines set by the US Treasury, Board of Aldermen, and city processes.”
The United Way of Greater St. Louis is helping process the applications. They paused the application process in late December after receiving more than 10,000 applications. The mayor's office said the process will continue until all 9,300 payments have been distributed.
The eligibility requirements to receive one of the 9,300 cash payments are as follows:
- City Residency: You must be a City of St. Louis resident. Confirm that you live in St. Louis City by checking your address on the City website.
- Income Threshold: You must earn at or under 80% of the Area Median Income. You can check the income requirement by checking the table in section two of this page on the city's website.
- Loss of Income: You must have suffered lost income due to the COVID-19 crisis. Those reasons can include, but are not limited to, cut hours, job loss, funeral expenses or treatment costs.
