If the flattening isn't working is it time to face reality?

[NYCgrrl]

Max benefits here are 275. Add the 600 and that is 875. So the max for 4 weeks is 3,500. Nobody is even making near 5,000 a month on unemployment here. Even in New York the Max benefit is $504. Add the 600 and that is 1104. That's 4,416 over 4 weeks. Still not 5,000. And 4,416 doesn't go all that far in New York city. And in several areas, people haven't even gotten their first unemployment checks yet.

In NYS, it's easier to make your first priority feeding your family. There is a moratorium on civil court proceedings such as foreclousures, and evictions. Utility and internet cut offs are banned as well. Can your average NYS resident (even the ones in NYC) survive on even half of 4.4K monthly? Yes. Would it be fun? No but then there really isn't any place to spend money but the internet so most of the temptations are gone. And in this state, unemployment is paid up to 6 months.
Still not sure if the $600.00 payment is made for the life of your unemployment benefits OR if say it's only for a specific amt of weeks.

 

[Snowysmom]

I believe the $600 payment is until July 31 at this point. In my state unemployment benefits are for 26 weeks so the $600 will not be part of the every payment if you max out.

 

[amylevan]

In NYS, it's easier to make your first priority feeding your family. There is a moratorium on civil court proceedings such as foreclousures, and evictions. Utility and internet cut offs are banned as well. Can your average NYS resident (even the ones in NYC) survive on even half of 4.4K monthly? Yes. Would it be fun? No but then there really isn't any place to spend money but the internet so most of the temptations are gone. And in this state, unemployment is paid up to 6 months.
Still not sure if the $600.00 payment is made for the life of your unemployment benefits OR if say it's only for a specific amt of weeks.

Once implemented, the $600 FPUC payments will be backdated to all eligible weeks for which individuals claim beginning the week ending April 4, 2020 and will be paid for all eligible weeks claimed through July 25, 2020.

 

[Farro]

Apparently Illinois flattened so well we moved our peak out until early May with less deaths expected.

Well, wonderful. Hopefully the response was commensurate with the actual death rate of the disease. I'm sure the numerous antibody studies will bear that out. Time will tell...

Yikes! We jumped to 2700 positives today. We also set a record for testing yesterday, over 16,000 tests. They told us not to worry, the jump is in cases is due in part to peaking and to the increased testing over last week.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

DD filed for unemployment and she qualified because her hours were cut by more than 50%. She got her state money AND the $600/week.
I'm not complaining because now we don't have to pay her rent.

And there is someone at the Dis that doesn't have a bee in his bonnet over your daughter getting it.

 

[sam_gordon]

And there is someone at the Dis that doesn't have a bee in his bonnet over your daughter getting it.

 

[morgan98]

NJ gets there - we get up to $713/wk - with PUA that is $1313/wk or 5,252/mo. But if you are making enough to reach the $713/wk limit, you are probably not laid off right now.

What makes you say this? People of all income levels are being furloughed and are out of work. People can set up a computer and work from home, but companies in cetprtain industries are losing business and yes it is impacting these other people that you seem to have disdain for.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

What makes you say this? People of all income levels are being furloughed and are out of work. People can set up a computer and work from home, but companies in cetprtain industries are losing business and yes it is impacting these other people that you seem to have disdain for.

I have disdain for? WTH are you talking about? Please provide a post which shows me showing disdain for anyone. If you can't, I expect an apology.

 

[Colleen27]

In NYS, it's easier to make your first priority feeding your family. There is a moratorium on civil court proceedings such as foreclousures, and evictions. Utility and internet cut offs are banned as well. Can your average NYS resident (even the ones in NYC) survive on even half of 4.4K monthly? Yes. Would it be fun? No but then there really isn't any place to spend money but the internet so most of the temptations are gone. And in this state, unemployment is paid up to 6 months.
Still not sure if the $600.00 payment is made for the life of your unemployment benefits OR if say it's only for a specific amt of weeks.

But they're just kicking the can down the road on those things, aren't they? That's how it is working here - no foreclosures or evictions, no shutoffs, but the bills keep piling up. When the moratorium is lifted, people will owe 3-4 months (or more) of their rent, mortgage, electricity, etc. And most will have no way to come up with that lump sum if they couldn't keep up while on unemployment, especially since it is very likely that the benefit will run out before our economy is fully functioning again.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

But they're just kicking the can down the road on those things, aren't they? That's how it is working here - no foreclosures or evictions, no shutoffs, but the bills keep piling up. When the moratorium is lifted, people will owe 3-4 months (or more) of their rent, mortgage, electricity, etc. And most will have no way to come up with that lump sum if they couldn't keep up while on unemployment, especially since it is very likely that the benefit will run out before our economy is fully functioning again.

Mortgages are being added to the end of the loan - no piling up there. But the rest is a recipe for disaster. So sad.

 

[Searc]

Mortgages are being added to the end of the loan - no piling up there. But the rest is a recipe for disaster. So sad.

It depends on the bank.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

It depends on the bank.

Very true.

 

[NYCgrrl]

But they're just kicking the can down the road on those things, aren't they? That's how it is working here - no foreclosures or evictions, no shutoffs, but the bills keep piling up. When the moratorium is lifted, people will owe 3-4 months (or more) of their rent, mortgage, electricity, etc. And most will have no way to come up with that lump sum if they couldn't keep up while on unemployment, especially since it is very likely that the benefit will run out before our economy is fully functioning again.

If I were in that situation (and I have been but w/o the quarter long grace period), I would've started scaling back already. Nothing but the basics won't kill anyone for a short time and the knowledge that phone calls don't have to be ignored and mail left unopened is a load off of the mind and who knows? It might influence a person enough to change certain aspects of their life to save money for the next time. It's been done in the past and undoubtedly the future.
Not a one fits all solution but it's a start that would work for more people than you might think.

 

[elphaba91]

I wanted to add that in parts of my state, social distancing is working very well. In my city cases are down and our local hospitals are reopening for non-urgent procedures. I see this as success in not overloading our local hospitals.

Yep. There are parts of the world where you can clearly see social distancing is working - look at Australia and New Zealand, or if you don’t want an island nation, Germany (although they were a bit slower off the mark). It works.

 

[TchrLady]

I have disdain for? WTH are you talking about? Please provide a post which shows me showing disdain for anyone. If you can't, I expect an apology.

I think what the poster was commenting on is that your post says:

“ But if you are making enough to reach the $713/wk limit, you are probably not laid off right now.”

They were trying to point out that that was not true. I read it the same way. For instance my husband works in IT for a major health care system. They have laid off or furloughed thousands of employees both direct patient care and management in the last three weeks who probably make more than $713 a week or even the $1613 with the extra $600. They are not working from home and not being paid. With elective procedures suspended in most states and being forced to care for primarily high cost/ low or little reimbursement covid cases they are going under financially. Thankfully my husband as of today is still working but that could easily change the longer everything is shutdown.

I am not sure if that is how you meant that statement to come across but that is how I read it too. I don’t know that I would call it disdain from you as the other poster said but I definitely would be offended if I was in that category of people making that amount of money and currently unemployed due to this pandemic and not by choice. Again I am not saying you meant it that way but that’s how it came across to me as well.

 

[kymom99]

DD filed for unemployment and she qualified because her hours were cut by more than 50%. She got her state money AND the $600/week.

I'm not complaining because now we don't have to pay her rent.

My step daughter got hers too. She is back to work but reduced hours so she can still collect unemployment. She will get the $600 plus a reduced amount from the state.

 

[bcla]

They were trying to point out that that was not true. I read it the same way. For instance my husband works in IT for a major health care system. They have laid off or furloughed thousands of employees both direct patient care and management in the last three weeks who probably make more than $713 a week or even the $1613 with the extra $600. They are not working from home and not being paid. With elective procedures suspended in most states and being forced to care for primarily high cost/ low or little reimbursement covid cases they are going under financially. Thankfully my husband as of today is still working but that could easily change the longer everything is shutdown.

What this is doing to hospitals and health care in general has totally turned everything upside down. I got to see this firsthand when I took my mom to the ER. She said that the ER was almost empty. Most people are avoiding ERs now, but they still need to have careful screening of patients. I do understand that ICUs are being stressed out in certain areas (NYC, Detroit, Northern NJ) but it doesn't sound like a huge issue in my area.

I'm not even sure exactly what they're doing in hospitals. It's been my understanding that elective surgeries tend to pay the bills, especially cosmetic procedures. I know some patients prefer to have them done in hospitals in case there are complications. What else is being done other than lifesaving surgeries and maternity. At this point are they even allowing partners to be in the delivery room?

 

[TchrLady]

What this is doing to hospitals and health care in general has totally turned everything upside down. I got to see this firsthand when I took my mom to the ER. She said that the ER was almost empty. Most people are avoiding ERs now, but they still need to have careful screening of patients. I do understand that ICUs are being stressed out in certain areas (NYC, Detroit, Northern NJ) but it doesn't sound like a huge issue in my area.

I'm not even sure exactly what they're doing in hospitals. It's been my understanding that elective surgeries tend to pay the bills, especially cosmetic procedures. I know some patients prefer to have them done in hospitals in case there are complications. What else is being done other than lifesaving surgeries and maternity. At this point are they even allowing partners to be in the delivery room?

Elective surgeries can be many things. Need a hip replacement that is considered elective right now no matter how much pain you are in. Not happening until restrictions are lifted unless it becomes an emergency. Previous breast cancer patient due for your annual mammogram-nope elective, unless you are in an emergency state or dying you are not getting services right now. That is just a few of many examples. So many “elective” procedures need to be performed in a hospital but cannot be at this time due to covid restrictions. This is why hospitals are losing money rapidly, especially in areas that are not covid hotspots. My husband’s system is primarily caring for covid patients, maternity and end of life or emergency patients. There are many floors and departments that are pretty much empty because of the lack of patients which has led to huge layoffs and furloughs. Unfortunately all you hear about in the news is the hotspots and the staff shortages they have but not much is ever said about the reality of many healthcare systems that are not in hotspot areas and suffering financially.

In our area maternity patients are allowed one support person and that person has to stay at the hospital the whole time. If they leave the hospital they cannot come back. I have a coworker who experienced this a few weeks ago and was devastated her husband couldn’t go home to be with their toddler and relieve the grandparents after she had the baby because he wouldn’t be allowed back in.

 

[bcla]

In our area maternity patients are allowed one support person and that person has to stay at the hospital the whole time. If they leave the hospital they cannot come back. I have a coworker who experienced this a few weeks ago and was devastated her husband couldn’t go home to be with their toddler and relieve the grandparents after she had the baby because he wouldn’t be allowed back in.

I can't really imagine that. I remember going in and out. Our kid was born around 7 PM and by the time we could do anything the cafeteria was closed and only my wife could get a meal. I had to go out to get anything to eat. And I went home a few times because my wife forgot to bring a few things with her. I would have gone stir crazy in the hospital.

 

[Pooh2]

In our area maternity patients are allowed one support person and that person has to stay at the hospital the whole time. If they leave the hospital they cannot come back. I have a coworker who experienced this a few weeks ago and was devastated her husband couldn’t go home to be with their toddler and relieve the grandparents after she had the baby because he wouldn’t be allowed back in.

Our grandson is due in the next few weeks and the parents to be were told the same.
If our son so much as forgets something in his car, he will not be allowed back into the hospital. He must bring his own snacks with him, no going to the cafeteria allowed.
They will all be shipped home as soon as possible after baby arrives.
The hospital is empty and staff furloughed but yet this is the way anxious new parents will be treated.
Things are just not adding up here..