Dear San Franciscan,

This is an unbearably sad time with all Americans sharing the same devastating experience: we are grieving for those who have died from the coronavirus, we are fearful for our health and especially the health of our loved ones and we are heartbroken for our children who are unable to be in school and with their friends.

As Americans, we are suffering from pressures of economic hardship. All of us want to resume the precious and beautiful lives that America’s unique freedoms provide. We will overcome this moment, but success requires one fundamental from which all actions will follow: we need the truth. To succeed in this crisis, we must insist on the truth, and we must act upon it!

In order to move forward, we must first understand the truth of what has put us in this position:

• The truth is that Donald Trump dismantled the infrastructure handed to him which was meant to plan for and overcome a pandemic.
• The truth is that Donald Trump was warned about this pandemic months in advance.
• The truth is that Donald Trump told his most loyal followers that the pandemic would disappear, thus endangering lives and paving the way for economic disaster.
• The truth is that we did not have proper testing available in March despite Trump repeatedly claiming that we did; and even now, we do not have adequate tests, masks, PPE, and necessary equipment, which creates unnecessary death and suffering.
• The truth is because of an insufficient response to this health crisis, the strong economy handed to Donald Trump is now a disaster, causing the suffering of countless Americans and endangering lives.
• The truth is a weak person, a poor leader, takes no responsibility. A weak person blames others.

The truth is, from this moment on, Americans must ignore lies and start to listen to scientists and other respected professionals in order to protect ourselves and our loved ones. Once we all share the truth of what took place and what is currently happening, including in communities of color, we can work together to solve these problems.

Congresswoman Pelosi joined late night talk show host James Corden to discuss Congress' ongoing response to COVID-19. 

Economic Impact Payments

Taxpayers who have filed their tax returns in 2018 or 2019 and received a refund via direct deposit will not need to do anything and should receive their Economic Impact Payment in their bank account.

This week, the U.S. Department of the Treasury and IRS launched the “Get My Payment” web application. The app allows taxpayers who filed their tax return in 2018 or 2019 but did not provide their banking information on either return to submit direct deposit information. Once they do, they will get their Economic Impact Payments deposited directly in their bank accounts, instead of waiting for a paper check to arrive in the mail. “Get My Payment” also allows taxpayers to track the status of their payment.

For taxpayers to track the status of their payment, they will need to enter basic information in the “Get My Payment” app:

• Social Security Number
• Date of birth
• Mailing address

Individuals receiving benefits from the Social Security Administration (SSA) who are not required to file a tax return do not need to take action, and will receive their Economic Impact Payment as they would normally receive their current benefits (i.e., direct bank deposit, paper check by mail, or deposited to a Direct Express debit card) from SSA. This includes beneficiaries of Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), seniors and others that receive Form SSA-1099 (SSA Retirement Benefits Statement) and Form RRB-1099 (Railroad Retirement Benefits), survivor benefits, and/or Supplemental Security Income (SSI).

SSI recipients who have qualifying children under age 17 may qualify for an additional $500 per eligible dependent. That information will need to be provided to the Internal Revenue Service using their “Non-Filers” tool here.

The “Non-Filers” tool will request basic information to confirm eligibility, calculate and send the Economic Impact Payments:

• Full names and Social Security numbers, including for spouse and dependents
• Mailing address
• Bank account type, account and routing numbers

Recipients will receive the $500 per dependent child payment in addition to their $1,200 individual payment. If SSI beneficiaries in this group do not provide their information to the IRS soon, they will have to wait until later to receive their $500 per qualifying child.

The IRS has also provided Frequently Asked Questions and scenarios to help determine any needed steps for a variety of situations in receiving your Economic Impact Payment.

Unemployment Assistance

Unemployment Insurance (UI) can be applied for through the State of California’s Employment Development Department’s website. Specific resources due to the COVID-19 impacts can be found here.

As part of the federal CARES Act, the new Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program helps unemployed Californians who are business owners, self-employed, independent contractors, have limited work history, and others not usually eligible for regular state UI benefits who are out of business or services are significantly reduced as a direct result of the pandemic. The provisions of the program once operational include:

• Up to 39 weeks of benefits starting with weeks of unemployment beginning February 2, 2020, through the week ending December 31, 2020, depending on when you became directly impacted by the pandemic.
• An additional $600 to each PUA weekly benefit amount you may be eligible to receive, as part of the separate CARES Act Pandemic Additional Compensation program. Only the weeks of a claim between March 29 and July 31 are eligible for the extra $600 payments.

EDD is implementing a one-stop shop for those applying for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, including self-employed, gig-economy workers and independent contractors

Food Access Initiative

This week, Mayor London Breed announced a citywide effort to help San Franciscans access food during the COVID-19 pandemic. This new effort includes providing food for people who are currently in quarantine or isolation, and providing information about food resources to people who are otherwise food insecure. As part of this food access effort, the City’s Emergency Operations Center is working to expand the capacity of existing grocery and meal providers to serve more people.

Department of Disability and Aging Services Food Resources

In addition to this new effort to improve food security for the entire City, the Department of Disability and Aging Services (DAS) has expanded its telephone helpline—(415) 355-6700—which is now available seven days a week to connect seniors and adults with disabilities with City services, including food assistance. The DAS Helpline is also connecting older adults and people with disabilities with volunteers who can help them with their essential needs, including grocery support.

CalFresh

The State has authorized two emergency CalFresh payments, one of which was issued on April 12 and another to be issued on May 10. These emergency funds allow participants to receive the maximum benefit amount for their household size. During this difficult time, the state is also waiving or postponing certain requirements to help people keep CalFresh and apply while they shelter safely at home. These programmatic changes include no face-to-face application interviews and waiving documentation to renew benefits through June 17. For more information about how to apply, contact the San Francisco Human Services Agency here.