NEW YORK – As the coronavirus crisis took hold, Akeil Smith's employer slashed her work as a home health aide to 25 hours per week.
Her $15-an-hour salary no longer provided enough to pay her $700 monthly rent, and she had to visit food pantries for groceries.
While millions of U.S. workers have already received a quick relief payment from the federal treasury through direct deposit, Smith is among millions of others without traditional bank accounts who must wait weeks for paper checks.
When the checks finally arrive, this disproportionately black and Hispanic population often has little choice but to use expensive check-cashing services to access the money. “I live check to check, and right now I need more groceries,” Smith, 35, told The