Then $7,600 suddenly arrived for eight weeks of back benefits, including a $600 weekly bonus. Though the aid will lift Ms. Bedico’s annual income above the poverty line, she does not know when she will return to work. And it added $600 to weekly unemployment checks through July — a bonus of nearly $11,000 on top of regular payments, for those who qualify all four months. Until the $600 bonus expires, the poorest fifth can at least double their lost pay. Poverty rates are based on annual incomes, so families losing aid may suffer new hardship even though the earlier assistance leaves them above the formal poverty line.

Source: New York Times June 21, 2020 18:55 UTC