For many, the federal response to COVID-19 has been more than confusing. For Catherine, a formerly homeless restaurant worker living on Chicago’s Northside, that confusion has led to frustration, doubt, and fear.
Catherine had just moved into her first home in five years just weeks before the pandemic hit Chicago. With little else than a few benefits and her supportive housing voucher, Catherine found herself forced into isolation due to social distancing. Her only connection to the outside world was her phone.
“I was talking to a friend about the virus, and she’s the one who said that I’m should get a stimulus check. I actually remember arguing about it, I was sure I wasn’t able to get it!” Catherine said, laughing. “I don’t file for taxes, I don’t make enough for that. Everything I heard said you had to file your taxes.”
Even still, the chance to receive a $1200 check was worth looking into. That much money could go a long way for Catherine, and help with food and utilities. She reached out to her case manager at Heartland Alliance Health, Ryan Spangler, who reached out to the IRS to find out more.
Much to their surprise, it was true.
“I remember hearing back from my case manager and my jaw hit the floor. I was so happy to find out I could get this help, and I told him I’ll do whatever it takes to get it done.”
A Heartland Alliance Health outreach professional connected her with the IRS call-in number, and helped guide her through the proper channels. At times, he would jump on a call with Catherine and the IRS representative directly to work through paperwork and filing.
The last time Catherine filed a tax return, Catherine had a different address and a different last name. Without access to a computer or internet, much of the process had to be worked out over the phone. It took almost two months of calls. Catherine spent hours on hold only to hang up and try the next day.
“You know how it is. You’re lucky you speak to a person, and that’s just the start of it.”
Eventually, every box was checked and every dotted line signed. Now, Catherine simply had to wait for her check to come in – and wait she did.
“I would be told that I’ll get a check on this date. Then, no check. We would call, and call again, and call again – and repeat the process. That happened a few times over a couple of months.”
Finally, on July 3rd, her check came in. It was a paper check, making the last hurdle to get her stimulus payment a two-block walk in her mask and twelve dollars to cash the check.
So far, she’s been able to make that check last. She’s used it to buy food, curtains for her new apartment, and some toiletries and masks. She saved a few hundred to use for food over the next few weeks.
“You know, I don’t really have much, I want to make sure this can last while we’re stuck inside,” Catherine said. “A hundred dollars doesn’t go far. I’m surprised I’ve been able to keep this much, but I know how fast it’s gonna go.”
Catherine’s HAH case manager still helps her find resources to carry on through the pandemic. He’s helped her acquire a new phone, and connected her with a number of food pantries – but the fear of attending such spaces has grown as infection rates continue to rise.
As for any future stimulus payments that may be coming from the federal government, Catherine is keeping her eyes and ears wide open. She’s dead set on making sure she doesn’t get stuck in another bureaucratic mess, and hopes to be first in line for filing.
“There’s just so many people who had to go through this mess. So many that don’t have a regular paycheck, and it feels like we were put on the back end. So many of us didn’t even file because they didn’t know that they could. It’s like they tried to keep this a secret. That’s not gonna happen to me again.”
