ST. LOUIS — Progress is being made in reviewing applications for the $500 direct cash assistance program for City of St. Louis residents. United Way of Greater St. Louis announced they have approved more than 1,000 cash cards for residents that have applied.
Applications are still on pause while the city goes through the more than 10,000 they first received.
"As processing applications continues, our current analysis indicates that 25% are incomplete and require follow-up action from the applicant," United Way said in a release. "This volume of incomplete applications requires more processing time than anticipated as we reach out to individuals to fully complete their applications and determine eligibility."
The United Way is now working to process and review the applications to make sure eligible families in the City of St. Louis get their money as quickly as possible.
“Trusting families to spend money where they need it most helps put food on the table while putting money back into our communities,” St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones said in a Zoom press conference.
A spokesman for the mayor's office said applicants will get a notification once their application has been approved or denied. The money will be distributed as a digital card or will be mailed out. It should take about 10 to 15 days once processed for people to receive their funds.
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.