Do you have questions about our emergency fund or other federal, state and local resources for workers in crisis?
Ask them here.

ABOUT THE FUND

How are tipped workers and service workers affected by this crisis?

The subminimum wage for tipped workers has resulted in a horrific experience for millions of tipped workers as a result of the COVID-19 economic shutdown. Millions of restaurant and other tipped workers have lost or are losing their jobs. Millions of workers find themselves now unable to pay for rent, food for their children, or other bills.

What about unemployment insurance?

Many tipped workers and service workers ineligible for unemployment insurance either because, for instance, of their immigration status or the fact that their hours or longevity at their restaurant was not enough to qualify them for unemployment insurance. Even among those who are eligible, however, unemployment insurance is calculated based on the subminimum wage for tipped workers (still $2.13 at the federal level) plus a rough calculation of workers’ tips. Especially for tipped workers in casual restaurants that receive tips in cash, because cash tips are messy and generally under reported (both by workers and employers), unemployment insurance will be based on $2.13 plus a severe under-calculation of their tips. For most workers, unemployment insurance will be a percentage of their income; for tipped workers, it will be a percentage of a percentage of their income because of the subminimum wage for tipped workers.

What about other financial assistance from the government?

We’re all hopeful the federal government will step in soon with emergency cash assistance for all Americans, but bear in mind, this money may take a while to be disbursed, and hourly and tipped workers are suffering NOW. Also, undocumented workers will not be included in any government relief package.

Who administers this fund?

The fund was set up by One Fair Wage, a grassroots-based campaign of restaurant workers and other tipped workers and service workers. The One Fair Wage campaign seeks to win a full, fair minimum wage for every worker in America with tips on top. We know that having fair and just wages would have gone a long way toward insulating workers in this moment. But now that a crisis is upon us, we’re mobilizing to provide vital support to workers in our community. For more about One Fair Wage, click here.

How will decisions be made as to which workers to help?

This is probably the hardest question. We’re trying to raise as much money as possible to help as many people as possible, but we know that hard decisions have to be made.  We have a team of organizers and former service workers in each state vetting as many applicants as possible and prioritizing recipients based on need. We also have donors who have dedicated funds to workers in specific cities and states. Finally, we also have also convened the People's Unemployment Line to lift up the voices of the nearly 200,000 workers who have applied to this fund — and millions more — for whom unemployment insurance is insufficient or non-existent. Learn more at fightdontstarve.com. 

How many applications have been received?

We can’t provide an accurate count because it’s changing every second, but it is nearly 200,000. While we’ve been overwhelmed by support of those who can afford to give, the number of inquiries for assistance continue to outpace donations. Obviously this is a significant economic crisis, especially for workers who were at best struggling to get by before this. We know our fund cannot possibly meet the full scale of the need, but we hope to do what we can to help as many people as we can.

Will the fund provide cash assistance?

Yes, in fact as far as we know, many of the organizations raising “emergency support funds” in this crisis are in fact not providing cash assistance. We are. Our goal is to raise as much money as possible and get it in the hands of restaurant workers, service workers and gig-economy workers who are suffering in the economic downturn caused by the coronavirus. That’s the whole point of this effort.

FOR APPLICANTS

Do you still have funds left?

Yes, we still have funds for distribution, we are still raising money, and we are working as fast as we can, overcoming barriers left and right to get people access to these funds as soon as possible. That said, it's important for you to know that we will likely not be able to pay every applicant. We will send an email to all applicants to let them know when we are out of funds.

Who is eligible to apply?

Restaurant workers, delivery workers, app-based delivery drivers and other tipped workers and service workers who have been impacted by coronavirus and the related economic crisis can apply for assistance. At the moment, we are prioritizing tipped workers, gig workers and service workers in California, Colorado, the District of Columbia, Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. But we are currently taking applications nationally and are actively raising money to support workers in all states as soon as possible.

What if I’m an undocumented immigrant?

Yes, please apply. We are able to provide cash assistance to United States citizens, temporary residents and undocumented immigrants and will do so respecting your privacy and safety. And especially because we know that undocumented workers are often not able to access other forms of economic support, we encourage you to apply. Information collected will only be used for the purposes of communicating with you for follow-up steps.

Can you check the status of my application?

We currently have nearly 200,000 people who have applied and are still waiting for funds. We are staffed by a small, volunteer-driven team, working to push out about $1M in funding every week. We are unfortunately unable to give individuals the status of applications right now, but here are a few things you can do to be ready if we are able to provide funds for you:

1. Make sure you know the contact information you applied with -- including what phone number and what email address you used, and your birthday.
2. Check your spam folders and look for an email about your status 
3. Follow us on the Service Workers United Facebook page, where we are working to post fund updates every week or two

Thanks for being patient as we are working through our list. You should also know that right now we will not be able to distribute funds to ALL applicants. We are working hard to fundraise and distribute as much money as possible.

If I apply, should I automatically expect to get assistance?

Unfortunately, no. Right now, we are working hard to fundraise and distribute as much money as possible, but as of today we will not be able to distribute funds to all applicants.

When do the relief funds typically go out?

We usually try to send out our funds in batches once a week. That hasn't always happened as we have encountered some technical errors and glitches, and want to be as sure as absolutely possible that when we send the funds, workers can actually access them. 

I’ve applied and haven’t heard anything, do I need to reapply?

If you’ve applied once, there’s no need to reapply -- we are still wading through more than 170,000 applications waiting to be paid and working hard to send out funding every week. 

I've been approved, when will I get my money?

We can't give you an exact date because sometimes it takes awhile for the funds to transfer between systems, since we are trying to pay so many people at once. We recommend you plan to wait about 10 business days. Thanks for your patience and be sure to check your spam — we know these are hard times!

I've been approved, how do I get my money?

Right now, we are emailing funding via a virtual pre-paid debit card from USIO/AKIMBO. Please be sure to check your inbox — and spam — for an email from  fund@onefairwage.org to 95% of applicants receiving funds from Akimbo.  In addition, earlier on we were sending out funding via akimbo_card@akimbocard.com  or do.not.reply@hyperwallet.com. You may also want to search your email for messages from one of these accounts.

I’m having problems with accessing my funding

You’ll want to contact Akimbo (or the original distributor) for direct support. This includes troubleshooting and problems with their website. If you received funding via our partner GiveDirectly, please contact givedirectly.org/support for help.

FOR DONORS

How are donations processed and are they tax deductible?

Currently, we are accepting donations through ActBlue. One Fair Wage is a 501(c)3 organization and all contributions are tax-deductible. If you want to make a donation via check/mail, you can make it out to "ONE FAIR WAGE" and mail it to: One Fair Wage, 45 Mt. Auburn Street, Cambridge, MA 02138

What more can I do to help?

Please donate. Please spread the word. Please download our diner’s guide app and support high-road restaurants in this moment, the restaurants that were doing right by their workers before this crisis. And please tell your legislators that we need One Fair Wage, at the federal level and in every state, so that no one who puts in a hard day’s work is paid poverty wages and can’t afford to feed their own family.