Inability to Pay Bills Due To COVID-19
Millions of people throughout the country are struggling to pay bills due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Thousands of businesses have made the difficult decision to shutter their doors, leaving millions of workers without an income. Economic chaos continues, as these workers are now unable to pay their daily living expenses, afford medications, or even have lost their employee benefits such as their health insurance. While they may have received a stimulus check, this amount of compensation in no way will continue to cover their expenses for their families for an extended period of time. However, there are some things to consider and possible ways to make some extra income if you are unable to pay your bills due to COVID-19.
Consider Freelance Work
Consider working for Instacart, Doordash, or even writing freelance on Upwork. Every little bit can help and there are a lot of opportunities now for either online work or running errands or getting groceries for individuals that are unable or unwilling to shop for themselves during this crisis.
Apply For Assistance
Apply for everything you can to assist you during this time. Many other people are in the same boat as you, and there is no shame in asking for help. You may qualify for certain government programs such as SNAP or WIC. Contact local food banks or even churches for help.
Contact Your Lenders
While this is a stressful time, the best course of action is to talk to all of your lenders directly. Talk to your mortgage holder or your landlord if you are unable to make your monthly payments. Contact your student loan servicer as well, as most have provided a grace period during this time. Other lenders may allow you to have a moratorium on your payments for several months.
Cut Down On Expenses
Cut your cable bill. Switch to a less expensive cell phone plan. Cancel all of your subscriptions. Create a meal plan for affordable meals. Sell anything and everything you can on either Facebook Marketplace or eBay. You have time at home now to clean and purge and make some additional money off of the things you do not need or want.
Consider Bankruptcy
In some cases, even if you make all of the above changes, you may still not have enough to make your monthly payments. You still have the legal option of considering bankruptcy during this time. If you make the decision to file for bankruptcy, an automatic stay will require all of your creditors to stop any collection attempts. Filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy will allow you to discharge many of your debts, and Chapter 13 will allow you to reorganize your debts and give you a longer period of time to pay them.
Contact Us Today for Help
If you are facing an inability to pay your bills, visit with an experienced West Palm Beach bankruptcy attorney at Kelley Kaplan & Eller at 561-264-6850 today for a consultation to help you understand how bankruptcy may be able to help you during this time.
Resource:
smallbiztrends.com/2020/04/impact-of-covid-19-on-small-businesses.html
https://www.kelleylawoffice.com/mortgage-payments-and-covid-19/
