HOUSTON — There is grant money available for people who need help because of the pandemic, but you should be careful what you apply for. Someone sent the VERIFY Team a social media post claiming FEMA is mailing checks.
The Facebook post claims, “If you’ve worked any during the Covid-19 pandemic, FEMA has finally authorized a one-time $2800.00 check for hazard pay!”
The post includes FEMA’s logo with a link to apply. The one post has been shared over 8,000 times.
Our source for this is the Federal Emergency Management Agency. FEMA executed the Lost Wages Program in August, providing billions of dollars to states to help with their unemployment claims. The funding allows states to provide at least an extra $300 per week to people who lost their jobs because of COVID-19.
But as far as relief money for people who continue to work during the pandemic, FEMA states on its website, “… no federal assistance was given in the form of hazard pay, nor has FEMA directly paid individuals.”
So, we can VERIFY, this claim is false.
FEMA has added a Coronavirus Rumor Control section to its website to address these kinds of claims.
It's a good idea to always check with the agency offering the grant opportunity before filling out any kind of application that asks for your personal information.