Help Kenzie with Unexpected Financial Hardship

During the COVID-19 pandemic, myself and thousands of other Iowan’s rightfully filed for unemployment benefits due to being laid off or working reduced hours. Iowa Workforce Development is now asking many of us to pay back our benefits due to filing mistakes on their end, while accusing us of fraud. This is happening primarily to service industry workers, who comprised 68% of deaths among working class adults in the first year of the pandemic. IWD is taking action to make me repay over $16K of benefits I received with a 15% penalty for “fraud.” If I’m unable to pay this back in a timely fashion, legal action may be taken, and fraud in the first degree is a class C felony in Iowa punishable up to ten years in prison. The money I collected from unemployment was life saving and went to covering and meeting my basic needs each month. This total amount, with penalties, is just under what I make in a year. I am currently consulting legal help for such a heinous accusation, but am anticipating being demanded to pay back these benefits. I have had several massive financial burdens in the last few months: a car accident that totaled my car and left me injured, an emergency root canal, and endless medical bills that leave me with little to no expendable monthly income. I am struggling to get by and move through the stress that Iowa Workforce Development is putting me through, and any financial help would absolutely change my world. Thank you so much for reading and considering donating.

*You can also donate via Venmo @/Kenzie-Wyatt. I will lower the fundraising goal here accordingly with Venmo donations that come in.

**If by a miracle I end up on the other side of this not owing this exact amount, I will be donating the money to others fighting fraud charges from IWD or helping pay back their benefits as well.