I’ve started and restarted this article several times.
Sometimes I get too caught up in wondering who’s reading my article.
Take this article, for instance. I want to explain why so many working poor folks are not overjoyed by this $600 weekly unemployment bump, and I also want to point out that, once again, we’re quick to lay the blame at the feet of those struggling rather than on the government systems that are making the decisions.
I hope( I’ll be able to write this in a way that will do both.
(Deep breath) … So, here we go …
First of all, imagine life pre-COVID-19. You’re in a family of three, working for slightly over minimum wage (Let’s say for $10.50 an hour because that’s typically thought of as “good money” around here.) and find yourself laid off with no other form of income. Before any deductions, a full-time job would sit your gross income at around $1,680/month (40 hrs. a week x 10.50 x 4 weeks), qualifying you for SNAP benefits up to a maximum of $509/month.
Pandemic Times
Now, COVID-19 hits, and you’re laid off.
Suddenly, unemployment is your sole income, and it pays only a small portion of your wages. BUT the federal government, realizing that, decides to toss an extra $600/weekly on top of the typical unemployment. A family of three can have a maximum gross monthly income of only $2,311 in order to qualify for SNAP, so that extra bump automatically pushes you off the SNAP benefit cliff.
Now, unemployed, you must make all of the ends meet, plus food expenses. Rent, utilities, car payment, co-pays, insurance, gasoline, food, and all other bills have to be paid from unemployment benefits. Now, I know what’s being said. Why are they complaining when they are getting more money than they made when they were working, right?
Well, first of all, that money – including the $600 bonus – is taxable, so there’s that. And secondly, having to make up that food expense is not always easy when you’re used to living paycheck to paycheck. That’s not to mention that some will have a difficult time making it when this bonus ends. I’ve heard over and over that recipients should be saving the money instead of spending it, which is really easy to say when you are used to having an income that allows for saving and surviving rather than having to choose. I know people who are using the money to catch up because their typical wages have them hustling to cover all of their expenses, and they were behind when this mess started.
We’ve heard a lot about evictions being stopped during the early months of this pandemic, but how is that going to be handled now that courts are open, and the order has been lifted? I’ve read news articles and heard from co-workers that evictions are piled up across the state. How is this going to end for renters and landlords alike? I know that people are relying heavily on their rental income now so they can make it, and the same goes with utilities. Cutoffs aren’t taking place now, but what are the stipulations going to be when this starts to slow down, and the pandemic has ended?
These bills are going to have to be paid somehow.
Free Money?
And then there’s the fact that a lot of people aren’t wanting to return to work right now because they are making more money on unemployment than they were working 40 hours a week. I mean, with the threat of the virus still looming, child care centers are just starting to re-open, schools still are closed indefinitely, retail stores still have yet to open, and summer youth sports are still forbidden until June.
Who wouldn’t want to stay at home and keep their loved ones close? Especially when the other option is returning to work for full-time wages that, although well above minimum wage, still qualify you for government assistance?!?
And why are we blaming them? Why aren’t we giving the government a long, cold stare? It’s been shown that people cannot afford to live on unemployment benefits because their wages are too damn low, so low that they’re tossing in an extra $600/WEEK? So, why not demand they fix the problem by raising wages? We shouldn’t be pointing fingers and blaming people who are receiving that money because guess what? Those low-wage jobs aren’t typically sexy ones.
They, for sure, aren’t the middle-class ones. Think about your cashiers, gas station attendants, fast food workers, and waitresses. Hell, think about your child care workers because most of West Virginia’s child care workers are working for poverty wages. That industry can’t typically afford to pay teachers $11/hour with the same credentials as a public education Pre-K teacher!
And it’s not the teachers’ or owners’ fault; it’s the government’s systemic barriers that are to blame. So, when are we going to start blaming them instead of the people who are trapped in that mess?
The problem is that we have a government which tosses $2,400 a month at the most vulnerable workers in our society and makes it appear to be a gift when it’s actually hush money. You know, “Hush your mouth! You should be happy that you’re making more money than you did working full-time! Look how we’re caring for you!”
Pig Is a Pig
Well, guess what? You can put lipstick on a pig, and it’s still a pig.
It’s time to start thinking about how this pandemic has highlighted the wealth disparity in this nation, and if that means rattling the windows until the glass breaks, then so be it. We should not accept that $2,400/month justifies being kicked off of SNAP because when that money disappears, it’s going to be hard for too many of us to regain our footing. We shouldn’t have to cut off our noses to spite our faces, as my grandma used to say.
Stretch your perspective and realize that it’s not truly the people who fail, and when something seems too good to be true, it probably is. Also, remember that the only free cheese is that which is in the mousetrap.
Stay well. Wash your hands. And don’t blame people for eating the government cheese.
Onward,
Amy Jo
