The COVID-19 pandemic has presented unprecedented challenges for individuals, families, and small businesses. Recognizing these hardships, Pinellas County has established the Pinellas Cares Financial Assistance Program to provide crucial emergency financial aid. This initiative aims to support those within the community who have been most severely affected by the economic fallout of the pandemic.
Emergency Assistance for Individuals & Families
The Pinellas CARES Financial Assistance program offers vital support to eligible individuals and families who have experienced job loss or a significant reduction in income directly due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This program provides a one-time financial assistance payment to help cover overdue housing and utility expenses. Crucially, payments are made directly to the relevant utility companies, mortgage providers, or other eligible agencies to ensure funds are applied directly to outstanding bills. This direct payment system is designed to provide immediate and reliable relief to those struggling to keep up with essential payments.
Do You Qualify for Individual or Family Assistance?
To determine eligibility for the Pinellas CARES Financial Assistance program for individuals and families, you must answer “yes” to all of the following four questions. These qualifications are designed to ensure that assistance reaches those most in need due to the direct impacts of the pandemic.
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Have you experienced job loss or a significant decrease in your income as a direct consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic? This includes situations where your workplace was forced to close or reduce operations due to state or local government mandates. Applicants will need to provide documentation to verify their situation, such as pay stubs, a formal letter from your employer, or proof of employer business closure.
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Does your current household income meet the program’s qualifications? To check if your household income falls within the eligible range, please refer to the Financial Assistance Chart or see the simplified chart below. This income qualification ensures that the program supports those facing genuine financial hardship.
Income Eligibility Chart for Pinellas CARES Financial Assistance Program
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Do you possess less than $4,000 in liquid assets? Liquid assets are defined as readily accessible funds, including cash, savings accounts, and checking accounts. This criterion helps to prioritize assistance for those with limited financial reserves.
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Are you a legal resident of Pinellas County? Applicants must provide proof of U.S. citizenship or legal residency, as well as proof of Pinellas County residency. This requirement ensures that the program benefits local residents.
It is important to note that the Pinellas CARES Financial Assistance program is intended to cover COVID-19 related expenses that have not already been covered by insurance or other federal assistance programs. This prevents duplication of benefits and ensures resources are distributed effectively.
Applying for Individual and Family Assistance
If you meet all of the eligibility criteria outlined above, you can begin your application process by texting COVIDCARES to 898211. This is the quickest and recommended method to start your application. For those who are unable to send text messages, assistance is still available. Please call 2-1-1 to speak with a representative who can guide you through the application process and answer any questions you may have.
Small Business Grants: Supporting Local Enterprises
In addition to individual and family assistance, the Pinellas CARES program also includes Small Business Grants. These grants are specifically designed to support local businesses within Pinellas County that were forced to close or significantly reduce their operations due to the pandemic and subsequent statewide orders aimed at controlling the spread of the virus. These grants are exclusively for businesses with a physical commercial location within Pinellas County, reinforcing the program’s commitment to the local business community.
The Pinellas CARES Small Business Grant program offers $5,000 grants to qualifying small businesses. These funds are intended to help cover essential business expenses such as employee wages, outstanding vendor bills, and mortgage or rent costs. This financial injection can be crucial for small businesses striving to recover and sustain their operations during these challenging times. This program is strictly for businesses that maintain a physical presence within Pinellas County, emphasizing support for brick-and-mortar establishments.
Small Business Grant Eligibility Overview
Here’s a summary of the key eligibility requirements for the Pinellas CARES Small Business Grants:
- Grant Amount: $5,000 one-time grant for qualifying small businesses.
- Location Requirement: Businesses must have a physical commercial location within Pinellas County to be eligible.
- Business Size: Eligible businesses must have between 1 to 25 full-time employees, or the equivalent number of part-time employees, including the business owner. This definition of small business is designed to target support where it is most needed.
- Eligible Business Types: Restaurants, bars, short-term lodging providers, and other businesses deemed non-essential and impacted by local or state safer-at-home orders are eligible to apply. This broad eligibility aims to encompass a wide range of businesses affected by pandemic-related restrictions.
- Ineligible Businesses: Larger businesses, non-profit organizations, and home-based businesses are not eligible for these grants. The focus is on small, commercially located businesses.
- Use of Funds: Grant funds can be utilized to cover essential business expenses, including employee wages, payments to vendors, and rent or mortgage obligations. This flexible use of funds allows businesses to address their most pressing financial needs.
- No Reimbursement Required: These grants are not loans and do not require reimbursement, providing direct financial relief without adding to business debt.
- COVID-19 Related Costs: Businesses can only apply for this one-time assistance to cover COVID-19 related costs that have not already been compensated for by insurance or other federal programs, similar to the individual and family assistance guidelines.
Businesses interested in applying for a Pinellas CARES Small Business Grant are strongly encouraged to thoroughly review all program qualifications before beginning the application process. This will help to ensure a smooth and efficient application experience.
For comprehensive program details and further information about both individual/family assistance and small business grants, please visit the official Pinellas County COVID-19 website: https://covid19.pinellascounty.org/. This website serves as the central resource for all information related to the Pinellas CARES program.
