This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated.

NEW ORLEANS – Essential workers are now able to apply for a stimulus check which is called Hazard Pay if qualifications are met! 


Eligible frontline workers (in Louisiana) like store clerks, bus drivers, and housekeepers are able to apply for a one-time $250 stipend by mail or online. 


“50 million dollars we allocated that we appropriated from the Federal CARES Act money that we set aside,” State Representative of District 93, Royce Duplessis told WGNO on Wednesday morning. 


In order to qualify for the stimulus check, Duplessis says, each essential worker must have worked at least 200 hours outside of their home between March 22nd, 2020, and May 14th, 2020. Each worker also has to make $50,000 or less per year. 

Only 200,000 essential workers will be approved on a first-come-first-serve basis. Some Louisiana residents thought the quota had already been met. 

“The Department of Revenue has not told me that we’ve hit our max yet so I have no reason to believe that we have,” Duplessis explained. 


“It gives me a much better hope that I can actually get it ’cause when I got here this morning, I didn’t think there was any chance I was even gonna have it,” Canseco’s Market Assistant Manager, Walter Rose said. 

Rose tells us, on average, he’s worked 52 hours a week since this pandemic and he says that if he does receive the $250 stipend, it could be a huge weight off of his shoulders.


“That’s one less bill, one less stress point of your day-to-day. I mean, that would basically cover my electricity which would be a big help,” said Rose.

Duplessis tells us, since Wednesday afternoon, over 20,000 applications were submitted. After the maximum number is hit for the hazard pay, we’re told there could be more plans in store to help Louisiana employees. 


“If some of the money that was allocated towards municipalities and/or the small business program that we put in place- if there’s money left over from there, then we are certainly gonna make every attempt to send more money back to the frontline workers,” Duplessis said. 

he hazard pay application will be available until October 31st, 2020.