Restaurant workers, as with many industries, have been hard hit due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Although some restaurants have switched to takeout and curbside pickup, they don’t always need the same staffing level to do that. However, at least there is a new restaurant worker relief fund available through the National Restaurant Association.
On April 2, 2020 the National Restaurant Association announced on Twitter, “APPLICATION IS LIVE: Restaurant workers impacted by COVID-19 can apply now for a one-time $500 grant through the Restaurant Employee Relief Fund.” Celebrity chef Guy Fieri is heavily involved in this effort. According to ABC News, Fieri said he’s working with the National Restaurant Association “to get money to those in the industry who have been affected by this pandemic.”
Who is the fund designed to help? Fieri told ABC that it should cover “restaurant staff, including upper management, chefs, servers, and dishwashers.”
APPLICATION IS LIVE: Restaurant workers impacted by COVID-19 can apply now for a one-time $500 grant through the Restaurant Employee Relief Fund. You can apply for aid here: t.co/EqokOXcuyM
We appreciate your patience; please continue to follow @nraef for updates.
Here’s the link to the grant application.
What does the grant application process require?
Here’s what you need to know:
You can Apply Online But Will Need Some Documentation
The Restaurant Employee Relief Fund says on its website: “Through the Restaurant Employee Relief Fund, we will provide grants to restaurant industry employees who have been adversely impacted by COVID-19, financially, whether through a decrease in wages or loss of employment.”
People can apply for a grant starting on Thursday, April 2, 2020. The grants are for $500, but you can’t get it twice. Who is eligible? You have to meet all of the following requirements to quality, according to the fund:
You have worked on a part- or full-time basis in the restaurant industry for at least 90 days in the past year; and
Have had a primary source of income in the restaurant industry for the last year; and
Have experienced a decrease in needed wages or loss of job on or after March 10, 2020 which these grant funds will help offset; and
Live in the United States, an overseas U.S. military base, or any U.S. territory; and
Are over the age of legal majority in their in their U.S. state or territory.
The checks are expected to be sent out 2-3 weeks after approval. People are notified within 2-4 weeks of applying. The fund advises, “The application can be completed using a smart phone, computer, or tablet (such as an iPad). Because there are several questions on the application, we recommend completing the form on either a desktop or laptop computer using the Chrome, Safari, or Edge browser.”
The fund is requiring some documentation, as follows:
A pay stub dated before December 10, 2019 which shows:
Your name
Your employer’s name
Hours and/or Amount Year to Date (YTD)
A pay stub dated after March 10, 2020 which shows:
Your name
Your employer’s name
Hours and/or Amount Year to Date (YTD)
If you cannot provide a pay stub, you can also upload a notice or letter of termination or a claim for unemployment benefits dated after March 10, 2020. This notice must show:
Your name
Employer’s name
Date of termination
How will you receive the funds? “Fund checks will be mailed to the address provided in your application and made out directly to the applicant,” says the website.
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