Amazon has set up a relief fund in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis where many drivers may have found themselves unable to work due to public health orders issued by their local governments. The fund has an initial contribution of $25 million and is currently only available to those in the United States. Drivers who qualify can apply for a grant and if awarded will receive an eCheck via email that can be printed and cashed. The funds will equal approximately up to two-weeks of pay, or $1200 USD.
Do I Qualify?
I’ve looked over the FAQs in detail available at the link above. I’m not a lawyer and I’m only speaking from personal opinion here. I believe that if you’ve been ordered to “Shelter in Place” by your local government, such as people in the Bay Area, then you may qualify for a grant.
One detail that’s not in the FAQs and specific to Flex drivers is that “To be eligible for a grant, you must be an active driver who has worked at least 4 blocks in the trailing 30 days”.
If you’ve been ordered to shelter in place and meet the criteria above, then you should apply for a grant.
There’s no penalty for applying, but please.. only do it if you NEED to. We don’t want to see the Amazon Relief Fund system overwhelmed.
Dispelling Rumors
No, you don’t have to be diagnosed with COVID-19 to qualify:
There’s no reason to suggest this is a marketing stunt by Amazon. The crisis is very real and Amazon is awarding tax free grants to people who qualify that do not have to be repaid. The FAQs are clear, please read them.
Documents
Bay Area drivers who apply should attach this document: https://www.sfdph.org/dph/alerts/files/HealthOrderC19-07-%20Shelter-in-Place.pdf
Source: https://sf.gov/stay-home-except-essential-needs
This document was issued by the Department of Public Health and should meet the criteria of “a note from a government health official”.
Executive Order document for ALL of California: https://covid19.ca.gov/img/N-33-20.pdf
Source: https://covid19.ca.gov/stay-home-except-for-essential-needs/
Illinois: https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/6816325-EO-2020-10.html
New Jersey: https://nj.gov/infobank/eo/056murphy/pdf/EO-107.pdf
Summary
If you’ve been ordered to shelter in place by your local government and as a result are unable to work for 5 or more consecutive days and you’ve been an active driver who has worked at least 4 blocks in the trailing 30 days you should apply for a grant at https://amazonrelieffund.org/
There will likely be many applications, I encourage those who NEED to and who truly believe that they qualify to apply now. More “Shelter in Place” orders are very likely to happen for other cities. We will be updating the Documents section of this post when/if they come.
We’ll do the best we can to help with whatever you need, contact us
Appreciate you, be safe and flex on!