APPLICATIONS CLOSED on 10/30 at 5:00pm
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, a Wash U Crisis Response Employee Fund has been created to assist those facing economic hardship in these unprecedented times. Benefits-eligible employees of Wash U are eligible to apply for assistance with pandemic-related expenses and in order to meet their essential needs. Expenses eligible for funding include housing, food, medical expenses for treatments and medications, and childcare expenses.
The Fund will accept applications for expenses incurred between August 1, 2020 – November 30, 2020.
Employees can apply for funds beginning Monday, October 12, 2020 and the application period will run through Friday, October 30 at 5:00 pm. Documentation must be provided at the time of application to support the request being made. Requests submitted without documentation will not be reviewed.
Applications will be reviewed at the end of the application period and applicants will be notified of funding decisions as soon as possible. Please note that payment from the fund will likely result in taxable income to the applicant.*
Those wishing to make a donation to the WashU Crisis Response Fund can do so here.
Employees have access other resources to help through these difficult times. Some of these include:
If you have questions about the Fund, please email employeecovidfund@wustl.edu.
* Generally speaking, payments for reimbursement of expenses incurred as a direct result of the pandemic should not be taxable income to the employee. Examples of these payments include: emergency child or elder care for essential personnel, medical costs not covered by insurance for the treatment of COVID-19 for an employee or an employee’s immediate family member, or food costs associated with feeding an employee’s child who previously received free lunches through school.
Payments for reimbursement of other expenses, such as assistance with housing costs, medical costs not covered by insurance and not related to COVID-19, or food costs, will likely represent taxable income to the employee. For expenses of this nature, Wash U may elect to gross up the amount of the payment in order to minimize any tax impact to the employee. The decision whether to gross up any payment rests solely with Wash U, and its determinations in this regard are final.
Whether a payment will affect eligibility for unemployment benefits can only be determined by the relevant state agency (Missouri Division of Employment Security, Illinois Department of Employment Security). Generally speaking, a payment for reimbursement of expenses other than those incurred as a direct result of the pandemic that is received by an employee of Wash U while the employee is on furlough will likely reduce employee’s eligibility for unemployment benefits.