Emily
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The State of Missouri demands 80-year-old resident to repay unemployment pandemic funds
ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. – The State of Missouri claims an 80-year-old woman owes more than $5,000 in unemployment pandemic funds.
Lucy Sanchez, who lives in Affton, has worked 60 years without collecting unemployment funds. However, that changed for her when the COVID-19 pandemic forced the restaurant she works for to shut down. When it partially reopened, her hours were reduced as a waitress.
Sanchez became one of many people to receive pandemic unemployment funds to help them through the crisis. Now the state is demanding she repay $5,500. She said that’s money she just doesn’t have.
“You know how many cups of coffee I have to pour to make $5,500. Another 20 or 30 years, I might be able to pay it back,” Sanchez said.
...
Merideth was one of the leaders in the Missouri House to pass a bill in 2021 to give residents a break on repaying the state money. However, the legislation is stalled in the Senate.
”Nothing surprises me anymore, it makes me furious, it’s not right, and I’m sick of it,” Merideth said.
He talked about his fight for another elderly St. Louis area resident.
“They were actually going after $10,000 for her. I was able to talk to the governor’s office Department of Labor, we actually got it fixed,” Merideth said. “She was right, she did not owe this money back. The problem is for most folks, they don’t have a lawyer. They don’t have a state rep. that they know to call or that’s willing to help them necessarily, and they probably did it right.”...
The State of Missouri demands 80-year-old resident to repay unemployment pandemic funds
ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. – The State of Missouri claims an 80-year-old woman owes more than $5,000 in unemployment pandemic funds.
Lucy Sanchez, who lives in Affton, has worked 60 years without collecting unemployment funds. However, that changed for her when the COVID-19 pandemic forced the restaurant she works for to shut down. When it partially reopened, her hours were reduced as a waitress.
Sanchez became one of many people to receive pandemic unemployment funds to help them through the crisis. Now the state is demanding she repay $5,500. She said that’s money she just doesn’t have.
“You know how many cups of coffee I have to pour to make $5,500. Another 20 or 30 years, I might be able to pay it back,” Sanchez said.
...
Merideth was one of the leaders in the Missouri House to pass a bill in 2021 to give residents a break on repaying the state money. However, the legislation is stalled in the Senate.
”Nothing surprises me anymore, it makes me furious, it’s not right, and I’m sick of it,” Merideth said.
He talked about his fight for another elderly St. Louis area resident.
“They were actually going after $10,000 for her. I was able to talk to the governor’s office Department of Labor, we actually got it fixed,” Merideth said. “She was right, she did not owe this money back. The problem is for most folks, they don’t have a lawyer. They don’t have a state rep. that they know to call or that’s willing to help them necessarily, and they probably did it right.”...