is there money?

[calimac]

Wow, this totally confuses me. Is there extra money, above and beyond the $1200 federal stimulus, available only to people who file for unemployment? And is it, as it appears from here, on a flat per-capita basis regardless of earnings?

Why haven't I read anything about this anywhere but on the site of a politics-and-cat-pictures blogger?

I don't think I would normally be eligible for unemployment or would it be financially worth the trouble to apply if I were. My earned income is as a gig worker (concert reviews), and I haven't been formally laid off, but it's true that all my gigs (the concerts) have been cancelled, totally outside of the control of my employers (the site for which I write reviews), from the second week of March through at least the end of April.

I'm not paid that much for the reviews, but a flat $600 per week? That's something even any middle-class person could use. Anyone know anything about this? I'd like some background before descending into the blizzard of government web sites.

Comments

[cynthia1960]

I think all of this is intentionally confusing.

[calimac]

I think the blog post is only confusing because the blogger assumes you already know about this. I don't have the capacity to comment on him and ask.

[erika]

Here is Mother Jones' take on it. (Here via network.)

[calimac]

Erika, thank you but that's the very piece I linked to that totally confused me and resulted in this post.

[erika]

Ah, I think I had a brain misfire, I meant to show you the SFChronicle's take. Mea culpa!

[calimac]

Well, that does clarify a lot, including the categories of assistance and where to go to sign up. It's a start.