KANSAS CITY, Mo. — As the calendar turns to May, the coronavirus pandemic continues across the Kansas City region.
It also means a new month of bills are due for thousands of people who lost their job because of layoffs, furloughs or other issues related to the economic downturn brought on by COVID-19.
People like Liberty resident Donald Vochatzer, who was laid off from his job in March.
He filed for unemployment in November from a different job but was denied. Vochatzer told 41 Action News the Missouri Department of Labor told him that the decision to deny his claim five months ago carries over to now.
"She (a Department of Labor employee) informed me, because I was denied from that job — different company, different circumstance, different time — that I was automatically denied for everything and I had to appeal it,” Vochatzer said.
With creditors lining up, Vochatzer worries how he’ll pay the bills that keep coming.
“It's been five weeks and I haven’t got a penny and I've got bills to pay,” Vochatzer said. "I own my mobile home, but it’s in a mobile home park and the lease is due (May 1). I have $120-something in the bank and that’s what’s left over after paying bills in the stimulus check.”
Fortunately, some organizations are trying to help people like Vochatzer during this tough time.
The Mid America Assistance Coalition helps people trying to pay their utilities in Jackson, Clay, and Platte counties through participation in the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program.
"With this pandemic, I think the need is just going to increase exponentially, because so many people are out of work,” Mid America Assistance Coalition Executive Director John Rich said. "There’s going to be a whole new group of folks that never had to apply for help (and) don’t know how to do that.”
While utility companies are not disconnecting service for nonpayment during emergency declarations in Kansas and Missouri, it won’t last forever.
"Once the moratoriums are lifted, we will anticipate a big demand in utility needs and rent and mortgage needs,” Rich said.