"It just seems like the whole system was set-up to fail us."
Name: Dan Epstein
Age: 53
Location: Greensboro
Job Status: Full-time freelance writer, unsure of where his next paycheck will come from. His writing is primarily on music, pop culture, and baseball. In good years Dan has made $70,000, more recently it has been about half that.
Healthcare: Coverage through his wife's job at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Most worried about: 

His parents, in New York State: 鈥淚鈥檓 checking in with them every day. And my worst nightmare is they get ill and I can鈥檛 go see them or be with them.鈥� His dad and stepmother are both in New York City, 鈥淏oth are pretty high-risk, dealing with chronic and critical ailments.鈥� His mom lives in Upstate New York.

Cash flow: 鈥淎s far as we鈥檙e concerned, just not having any income coming in. I鈥檓 just trying to take it day-by-day because that鈥檚 really all I have control over. But when I start thinking about what this could mean, in the bigger picture a month, two months, six months down the road 鈥� it鈥檚 a pretty scary rabbit hole to go down 鈥� Right now we can afford a roof over our head, and we can afford to keep the fridge filled. Six months from now, if things continue, I don鈥檛 know that that鈥檚 going to be the case.鈥�

Experience seeking unemployment benefits:

鈥淪o far that hasn鈥檛 gone well.鈥� Dan鈥檚 unemployment application was rejected. North Carolina does now provide unemployment to self-employed, independent contractors, or gig workers, among other classifications of work. 鈥淪elf-employed individuals are not considered full members of the economy, which I think is ridiculous,鈥� Dan explains.

He may be eligible for up to $600/week of federal unemployment benefits, from the $2 trillion Cares Act. However, 鈥淚 have no idea. I don鈥檛 know if I need to re-apply, or if my initial application will be reconsidered.

鈥淭here are emails I鈥檝e sent that are getting no response. I鈥檓 not sure where I鈥檓 supposed to be applying. I would definitely classify it as frustrating. It鈥檚 maddening. I understand that this is an unprecedented situation, but any system is going to feel the strain. But it seems like even so, the bureaucracy was caught with its pants down.鈥�