BEING A MODEL DURING THE CORONAVIRUS PT 1: HOW DO I PAY MY BILLS?
As you can see the world is facing an unprecedented global economic freeze due to the coronavirus and fashion is one of the businesses that have come to a halt.
There are no models working at all right now. You have bills to pay and no money coming in. What do you do?
The US government has enacted an extension to the eligibility for unemployment benefits as part of the 2.2 trillion dollar stimulus plan. It now makes self employed workers, independent contractors and gig workers eligible for unemployment money. This includes entertainers like models, actors and athletes. This falls under The Cares Act.
Here are a couple links to read on The Cares Act.
https://www.natlawreview.com/article/cares-act-expands-unemployment-insurance-benefits
You can find out how to apply for unemployment according to your state right here.
https://www.dol.gov/general/topic/unemployment-insurance
You may also be eligible for a stimulus check which is a check for $1200 per person in the United States that has made under $75,000 the last year. If you made between $75,000-99,000 you will get a check but proportionately smaller.
You will get a stimuli check if you have:
a social security number
filed your taxes in 2018 or 2019
Here are a couple links to see how they work and if you are eligible.
https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/coronavirus-stimulus-check-questions-answers-2020-4
https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus/economic-impact-payments
I know being a model can sometimes feel like you’re all alone and get left out. There may be relief for you. Reach out to your agent as all for advice on how to apply for these things. You can also reach out to The Model Alliance who is an active group doing work to help support models and model rights.
