Applicants frustrated with Angeleno pre-paid debit cards

Applicants frustrated with Angelino pre-paid debit cards

LOS ANGELES - Anika Reitman is a 29-year-old Angeleno looking for help. Normally she would not be in this kind of position, but of course, these are not normal times.

She is a furloughed restaurant hostess who says she's only gotten $200 in unemployment in a month, so when Mayor Garcetti announced what's being called the "Angeleno Card'' she jumped at the chance.

"It would be extremely important to me, it would help me pay the rent'.

The debit card gives $700, $1,100 or $1,500 to Angelenos who are below the federal poverty line or lost 50% of their income due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

You have to provide financial documentation, and applicants may be subject to a lottery as demand will far exceed the privately raised supply of cash.

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Still, Reitman is giving it a shot, going online multiple times on an overloaded system before getting through and submitting her application at hcidla.lacity.org or by calling 213-252-3040 until Thursday afternoon.

Much the same story for Trina Jones, a single mother of three I zoomed with today, as she talked about how she lost her job as a caregiver and could use that Angeleno money to pay bills and get things her family really needs.

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She also reported hours of frustration before she was finally able to connect and submit her application.

The City and County are trying to help, with money and other forms of assistance.

The technical part of things is not always 100% at the start, so be patient and stay on it.

As the Mayor might say, stay safe, stay home, and I'll add '' stay on your computer.''