Tennessee Department of Human Services offers assistance to the recently unemployed

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – The Tennessee Department of Human Services wants to help those who may be in financial trouble because of the Coronavirus.

Restaurants, bars and almost all non-essential businesses are closed because of the Coronavirus.

So what does this mean for the people who work there?

How will they be able to afford their bills?

Danielle W. Barnes, the Tennessee Department of Human Services Commissioner, says, “This cash assistance is for families, it’s for pregnant women, it’s for those families that have experienced a tremendous loss of employment or reduction of hours that they were not anticipating as a result specifically of COVID-19.”

If you were employed as of March 11, 2020 and lost your job or at least 50 percent of your income because of COVID-19 then you are eligible for aide.

A household of 1 to 2 persons will receive 500 dollars.

A household of 3 to 4 persons will receive 750 dollars.

and a household of 5 to 6 persons will receive 1000 dollars.

Barnes also says, “Once you apply, it will take us about two to three days to process that application and then we will send that card directly to you and that could take another five to seven days. So, we are anticipating from the time that you apply to the time you receive the card, could take up to ten days.”

The Tennessee Department of Human Services is offering this so that families can try to keep some sense of normalcy.

“This emergency cash assistance can help those families to be able to survive, to be able to thrive during this time when it is so unprecedented and so um unexpected”, says Barnes.

The assistance is available in addition to any unemployment benefits the household may receive.