$375 Stimulus Announcement Brings Relief To Some Coloradans
DENVER (CBS4) - Colorado is issuing a $375 stimulus payment to 435,000 Coloradans this December. The payment aims to curb the economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic as federal stimulus talks stall in Washington.
Coloradans are eligible for the payment if they received up to $500 in weekly unemployment benefits between March 15 and Oct. 24 and make less than $52,000 per year.
Former transportation dispatcher Ashley Coley said the payment is a relief because she is afraid of losing her home.
"Cut back to cheaper foods, to processed foods, which is just awful. So I was able to defer my loan on my mortgage in the short term," Coley told CBS4.
In the long term, Coley is taking money out of escrow and she'll have to pay all of it back. So for her, Gov. Jared Polis' stimulus announcement is certainly better than nothing. For now, she will wait for the automatic payment, which will be processed on Dec. 4.
"I would love to help during Christmas time but it's going to have to go bills and everything else," Coley explained.
The money cannot come soon enough, it could help Coley pay for gas to go on interviews and land a steady job.
"Interviews after interviews, after applying throughout the day, it gets down on you," she said.
Coley said she was caught off guard when the extra federal benefits ended.
"There's nothing on the website that said hey, we're not doing that anymore."
She tells us although navigating unemployment benefits has been filled with headaches, Coley is holding onto her positive affirmations.
"I've always believed that everything will work out, it sucks right now but it'll get better," she said.
The Colorado Department of Labor and Environment anticipates the state-funded benefits will reach 65% of all unemployment claimants since March 15.