We Want to Help

As the spread of COVID-19 continues to impact many individuals and families in our community, we want to help. This resource has been created to help those who are experiencing all kinds of hardship. Please know you’re not navigating these waters alone. We are here for you!

Currently, there are a number of measures being considered to help families financially over the coming weeks. For a summary of those items, see the National Relief Measures and Local Relief Measures sections below. For anyone who anticipates having trouble making payments, review the Steps To Take... list below. You can also seek financial assistance options for specific areas with guidance from the Financial and Food Assistance Resources section below.


STEPS TO TAKE IF YOU’RE CONCERNED ABOUT PAYING BILLS

Budget

  • If you haven’t looked at a budget in a while try using Every Dollar. It's a great free app to use to get a budget together.
  • Get clarity from your income sources as to what the reality will look like over the coming weeks.
  • Cut spending to bare necessities. If you can’t pay all of your bills, Dave Ramsey recommends you spend your money on these four items first and in this order: Food, Utilities, Shelter, Transportation.
Defer Payments 

  • If you’re still not able to cover all of your expenses, identify payments that can be deferred:
    • Call creditors to explain your situation. You can ask for temporary relief on your monthly payments. If you offer to still send some money, even if it’s a smaller amount than your typical payment, they might be more willing to work with you.
    • If you have federal student loans, you can forbear (interest accrues) or defer (interest doesn’t accrue on subsidized federal loans) your loan payments.
    • For student loans, use this questionnaire to understand what options are available to you.
  • If you’re paying extra on debt(s) right now and have less than one to two months’ worth of expenses in an emergency fund, it might not be a bad idea to temporarily stop extra payments and then restart them once things settle down.
  • Enroll for health insurance, if you can.
  • Use this week to get a game plan together and gather information, as there may be more changes coming.


NATIONAL RELIEF MEASURES

Broad Measures (Updated: 5/11)

  • Free COVID-19 testing to anyone, regardless of insurance status.
  • The tax-filing deadline has been moved from April 15 to July 15 for Federal taxes. The Virginia income tax payment deadline has been extended until June 1. 
  • Stimulus checks sent directly to American households. Use this calculator to estimate how much your family will receive.
  • Bank of America, Wells Fargo, and Capital One have all said that if customers are having trouble making payments on loans (mortgages, credit cards, personal loans, auto loans, etc.) to call them to find out what options are available. 
  • Foreclosures and evictions will be suspended for 120 days – until July 25 - on all HUD-owned properties and mortgages backed by the FHA, USDA, VA, Fannie Mae, or Freddie Mac. Additionally, homeowners are eligible for a forbearance plan to reduce or suspend their mortgage payments for up to 12 months. Borrowers should contact their loan servicer to ask about this. (Resource) 
  • Suspend Federal student loan payments through September 30 with no accrual of interest on these loans. Borrowers should contact their loan servicer to ask about this.
  • Individuals that apply for unemployment insurance will receive an additional $600/week for up to four months on top of what they would normally receive from unemployment benefits. Self-employed workers and independent contractors are eligible for this program.

Other Measures (Updated: 3/29)

  • Emergency paid leave for up to three months if you are sick, quarantined or taking care of a sick family member. It would be 2/3 of your normal salary and doesn’t apply if you receive unemployment compensation (employers with fewer than 500 employees).
  • Paid sick leave for two weeks (employers with fewer than 500 employees).
  • $350 billion small business loan program to provide companies with 500 or fewer employees access to funds to continue paying employees.
  • For funds taken out of retirement accounts like 401(k)s or IRAs, the 10 percent tax penalty is waived for people who are experiencing economic hardships. 

Resource


LOCAL RELIEF MEASURES (Updated 5/11)

Rent

  • The Supreme Court of Virginia has suspended all evictions until June 7, 2020. This date could be extended. (Resource)

Utilities

  • Dominion Energy is not disconnecting services for nonpayment and they’re reconnecting residential customers whose services were recently shut off. 
  • Washington Gas is suspending disconnections, waiving late fees and offering payment arrangements during this time. 

Cell Phone/Internet

  • Xfinity will not disconnect or add late fees for customers who contact the company. Customers will have unlimited data for 60 days, and Xfinity Wi-Fi hotspots will be free for anyone. New customers will also get access to 60 days of free Internet Essentials service (25 Mbps).
  • AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint will not terminate or add late fees for the next 60 days. Public Wi-Fi hotspots are also open and customers will receive unlimited Internet data.
  • T-Mobile advises customers with past-due amounts to set up payment arrangements online.

Unemployment Insurance 

Small Businesses


FINANCIAL AND FOOD ASSISTANCE RESOURCES

Sites to Find Financial Assistance Resources

Food Pantries/Rent and Utility Assistance

Student Meals

Additional Resources