ST. LOUIS — Nearly 2,000 of the city of St. Louis COVID-19 relief payments have been approved to help residents affected by the pandemic.
A statement from the United Way said the approved applicants have been notified and were able to choose between having the $500 deposited directly or have a physical card mailed to them. The city partnered with the United Way to assist with the approval and distribution of the payments.
The United Way said nearly 25% of the total applications received were incomplete, which has slowed the processing time. The statement said applicants should keep an eye on their email inbox for notifications about their application status or requests for additional steps.
"Applicants will receive a notification once their eligibility has been determined and can expect to receive their cash card within 10-15 days from said notification," the statement said.
The city paused the application process last month after receiving more than 10,000 applications. There were 9,300 cash payments available at the start of the program, totaling more than $4 million.
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.
More than 10,000 applications were submitted through in-person events and the city's online portal. The process will continue until all 9,300 payments have been distributed.