At the beginning of the year, Latinos were experiencing what the public calls a "Latino Prosperity". Under the Trump administration, the unemployment for the Latino community was only 4.2%, the lowest in recorded history. Their wages were rising allowing more people to purchase their own homes. More Latinos were able to go to college and drop out rates were the lowest in nearly 20 years.

But in recent months, the coronavirus' effect on the Latino population has been devastating. Most are working in agricultural and meatpacking industries, the hospitality industry, and retail which are among the hardest hit by the pandemic leaving thousands experiencing pay cuts and job losses.

If your source of income has been affected by the crisis, here are a few benefits that you can claim.

Unemployment relief and the Paycheck Protection Program

Benefits.gov provides a list of government benefits related to healthcare, food and nutrition, and unemployment assistance and is available in both English and Spanish. The website does not administer the benefits, instead it gives information on who you should contact in case you want to know what your unemployment resources are.

The first round of stimulus checks have already been released to over 128 million Americans amounting to $216 billion. Apart from this, the CARES Act or the Federal Stimulus Bill, allows those registered as unemployed to get an additional $600 per week until July 31, 2020.

The Coronavirus Aid has also established the PPP, or the Paycheck Protection Program which is a loan based on a company's payroll costs. To be eligible for this loan, you have to be a small business owner, an independent contractor, a nonprofit organization, a sole proprietor, or a self-employed person. 

Check these out:

Employee Benefits

Those who are on furlough can check with your company's human resource department on claiming some of your benefits. Depending on the state where you are located and the rules of the company, employees should be able to use their paid annual vacation days. 

Some employees who have been receiving only a portion of their salaries could check with companies if they are eligible for back pay for all the months that they are owed. Whether you are entitled to a severance pay depends on your company or employer. This however, is not mandated by law but you can always check with your employer if there would be any chance for them to reconsider it at a time like this.

 

Health Insurance

In a pandemic, it is important that the people get access to proper healthcare. Majority of those who have already filed for unemployment benefits received their health insurance through their companies. Losing their jobs also meant losing their health coverage. Some can go and apply for a spouse plan, if your husband or wife is still employed. 

Otherwise you visit healthcare.gov and check the insurance exchanges mandated by the Affordable Care Act. This option is only available 60 days from the date of unemployment. You can also check if you qualify for Medicaid, the national health insurance for low income earners.