New Hampshire

Individuals & Families

Unemployment Insurance

More laid-off and furloughed workers than ever before (including those new to the job market) will be eligible for Unemployment Insurance and will see an additional $600 per week to match the average paycheck for up to 4 monhts of benefits. These benefits will be available immediately.

New Hampshire residents can learn more about receiving Unemployment Insurance through the state unemployment insurance program here. General information from the Department of Labor about how to file for Unemployment Insurance is available here.
 

Direct Payments to Individuals & Their Families

Under the bipartisan CARES Act passed by the Congress, the IRS will issue direct payments to individuals based on their 2019 tax return, 2018 tax return, or 2019 Social Security statement. Individuals making up to $75,000 ($150,000 for married workers) will receive payments of $1,200 with an additional $500 payment per minor child. The payments decrease ratably and stop altogether for single workers making more than $99,000 ($198,000 for married workers and $218,000 for a family of four.)

Check your payment status, confirm your deposit information and your payment type here.

If someone has not filed a tax return in 2018 or 2019 and does not receive Social Security benefits, they may register for their rebate using an online portal launched by the IRS on April 10, which can be found by clicking here. When non-filers have registered, the IRS will send the rebate to the direct deposit account provided or, if none, to the address provided.

Social Security Income recipients will receive automatic payments with no further action needed on their part. The IRS projects the payments for this group will go out no later than early May. If benefit recipients have children who qualify, an extra step was needed to add $500 per child onto their automatic payment of $1,200 if they didn’t file a tax return in 2018 or 2019.

Veterans who receive non-taxable VA benefits but did not file tax returns for 2018 or 2019 will automatically be issued payments.

• For VA beneficiaries who filed a Form 1040 for 2018 or 2019, those payments will also be automatic. No further action is needed. They can track the status of their payments on the Get My Payment tool on IRS.gov. For non-tax filing VA beneficiaries, please note their information will be loaded on this tool within the next few weeks.

If you receive Social Security retirement or disability benefits (SSDI), Railroad Retirement benefits, VA benefits, or SSI and have a qualifying child that you did not register, your payment at this time will be $1,200 and, by law, the additional $500 per eligible child amount will be paid in association with a return filing for tax year 2020.
 

Health Insurance

If you or a member of your household have lost health insurance coverage, there are several ways to stay covered:

1. If you had insurance through a job, your employer may continue it or you may be eligible to pay for it through a program called “COBRA.” Ask your employer about how to sign up and how much it will cost.
2. To learn about other options, go to HealthCare.gov and follow instructions to see if you or your children quality for your state’s Medicaid program. For people who qualify, Medicaid programs are very low cost.
3. Through HealthCare.gov, you can also find out about low-cost insurance through your state’s health care exchange.
    

Food Assistance

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistant Program (SNAP), more commonly known as food stamps, ensure that Americans receive the food they need especially if they are newly unemployed.

In order to apply for SNAP, contact your state SNAP office or the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food & Nutrition Services regional offices near you:

New Hampshire
Website available here
Phone: 603-271-9700
List of office locations available here

U.S. Department of Agriculture Food & Nutrition Service
Northeast Regional Office
Phone: 617-565-6370

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women Infants and Children (WIC) provides access to nutritious foods to low-income pregnant women or mothers. To see if you are eligible for WIC benefits click here. To learn more about how to apply for WIC click here. To learn about WIC in your state, click here.
 

Food Banks

Congress has now secured $850 million in emergency funding to help food banks face increased utilization and demand in countless communities across the country due to the coronavirus. Click here to find a local food bank near you.

To find food assistance near you, call the USDA National Hunger Hotline at 1-866-3-HUNGRY or 1-877-8-HAMBRE.
 

Homeowner & Renters Protections

Mortgage Forbearance: Homeowners with FHA, USDA, VA, or Section 184 or 184A mortgages (for members of federally-recognized tribes) and those with mortgages backed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac have the right to request forbearance on their payments for up to 6 months, with a possible extension for another 6 months without fees, penalties, or extra interest. Homeowners should contact their mortgage servicing company directly.

Eviction Protections: Renters residing in public or assisted housing, or in a home or apartment whose owner has a federally-backed mortgage, and who are unable to pay their rent, are protected from eviction for 4 months. Property owners are also prohibited from issuing a 30-day notice to a tenant to vacate a property until after the 4-month moratorium ends. This protection covers properties that receive federal subsidies such as public housing, Section 8 assistance, USDA rural housing programs, and federally-issued or guaranteed mortgages. Renters whose landlord is not abiding by the moratorium should contact the relevant federal agency that administers their housing program or their local Legal Aid office.
 

Energy Assistance of Low Income Families

This legislative package includes $900 million to help low income Americans and their families heat and cool their homes. You can learn more about the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) in New Hampshire by clicking here.

 

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Emergency Paid Leave

Many workers in America currently have no paid leave and are being forced to choose between their paycheck, their health, and the health of the people around them.

The emergency paid leave provisions passed by Congress and signed into law by the President are a critical step toward protecting families’ financial security and mitigating the spread of the coronavirus. The CARES Act expanded access to emergency paid leave to as many as 87 million U.S. workers – many of whom would otherwise have been forced to choose between their paycheck and the health & safety of themselves and those around them. You can learn more here.

 

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Small Businesses

Forgivable Loans and Grants

On March 27, Congress secured $350 billion for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), a new Small Business Administration (SBA) program that offers forgivable loans to small businesses, tribal business concerns, and certain nonprofits.

PPP loans can be forgiven when used for payroll costs (including paid leave, health care, and other costs) to retain workers, and for other expenses such as rent, mortgage interest, and utilities. Independent contractors, sole-proprietors, and other self-employed persons are eligible for these loans.

Congress also approved $10 billion in SBA Covid-19-related emergency disaster grants.

On April 23, Congress approved an additional $310 billion for PPP loans, $50 billion for loans through the SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Program (which supports $350 billion in direct lending for disaster assistance), and an additional $10 billion in disaster assistance grants.

Of the $310 billion for PPP, $30 billion is set-aside for community-based lenders, such as Community Development Financial Institutions, Minority Depository Institutions, SBA-approved microlenders and Certified Development Companies, and small banks and credit unions below $10 billion in assets.

The legislation also clarified that small agricultural enterprises are eligible for these disaster loans and grants.

Small businesses, tribal business concerns, 501(c)(3) nonprofits, and 501(c)(19) veterans organizations should contact their lender and the Small Business Administration office directly. Click here to find Small Business Administration district offices in your area.

Click here for a state-by-state list of PPP lenders.
 

Paid Sick & Family Leave Tax Credit

Employers who provide required leave to their employees and who employ less than 500 employees are eligible for a tax credit to offset the costs of such leave. This tax relief will be provided against quarterly payroll taxes (those paid in connection the Form 941). For additional guidance, please refer to the IRS’s website.
 

Federal Reserve Main Street Lending Facility

With CARES Act funding, the U.S. Treasury will provide $75 billion for a Main Street lending program established by the Federal Reserve to support lending to small and mid-sized businesses with up to 15,000 employees or up to $5 billion in annual revenues. Main Street loans will have a 4-year maturity, with principal and interest payments deferred for one year. Businesses can borrow between $500,000 and $25 million in new loans, or between $500,000 and $200 million to expand an existing business loan. Banks will retain either a 5 percent, or a 15 percent share for borrowers of new loans with higher leverage, selling the remainder to the Main Street facility, which has a capacity to purchase up to $600 billion of loans. Small businesses can participate in both the Main Street Lending Program and the Paycheck Protection Program.

 

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Students & Educators

Student Loan Relief for Borrowers

If you have student loan debt, Congress secured several options outlined below for borrowers that help provide relief through September 30, 2020. During this period, a borrower will be able to:

• Pause payments for federal student loan borrowers who have Direct Loans and Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL), which means these borrowers will not be required to make any payments toward outstanding interest or principal balance.
• Suspend interest accrual for such loans so that these balances don’t accrue.
• Avoid forced collections such as garnishment of wages, tax refunds, & Social Security benefits.
• Halt negative credit reporting.
• Ensure a borrower continues to receive credit toward Public Service Loan Forgiveness, Income-Driven Repayment forgiveness, and loan rehabilitation.

For additional guidance on how to apply and learn about next steps as this critical relief becomes available, please refer to the U.S. Department of Education website.
 

School Meals

As more schools close due to coronavirus, Congress has provided emergency funding for Child Nutrition Programs to ensure students can still receive their free or reduced-price school meals during this time. To locate meals near you, click here for the USDA Meals for Kids When Schools are Closed map. Click here to learn more about what New Hampshire is doing during this time.
 

Stabilization Funding for Education

Congress secured $30.75 billion in funding for school districts, states and higher education institutions to ensure state resources and investments are not diverted from life-long learning. For additional guidance on how to apply and learn about next steps as this critical relief becomes available, please refer to the U.S. Department of Education’s Education Stabilization Fund page.

 

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Indian Country

Indian Health Service: Congress secured over $1 billion in critically needed resources to the Indian Health Service (IHS). Information on the federal response in Indian Country can be found on the IHS website.

Coronavirus Relief Fund: Democrats secured an $8 billion relief fund at the Department of Treasury to assist tribes with costs incurred in the response to the coronavirus pandemic. For additional guidance on how to apply and learn about next steps as this critical relief becomes available, please refer to the U.S. Department of Treasury website.

Tribal Governance: The legislative package provides $453 million to the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) for essential tribal governmental and to aid individual Native Americans. For resources and information on school closures, please visit the BIA website here.

Housing: This legislative package provided $300 million for programs within the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of Native American Programs. Resources can be found here.

Small Business: The legislative package makes tribal business concerns eligible for SBA loans of up to $10 million and SBA grants of up to $10,000 for payroll costs to retain workers (including paid leave, health care, and other costs), and other expenses such as rent, mortgage interest, and utilities. Tribal business concerns should contact their lender and the Small Business Administration office directly. For a list of SBA offices by state with contact information please click here.

Unemployment Benefit Costs: Congress is also allowing for tribes to be reimbursed for one-half of incurred unemployment benefit costs through December 31, 2020.

 

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Veterans