August could be a difficult month for millions of Americans as state and federal unemployment benefits stall or expire, with no guarantee of additional benefits and the stimulus package still up in the air

The Careers Act, which enacted the first stimulus package, added 13 or 20 weeks of state unemployment benefits and $600 per week from the federal government The latter expires on July 31, and many states are requiring unemployed persons to reapply to qualify for the additional 13 weeks of benefits, rather than automatically providing them, CNBC reports [Especially with the uncertainty of stimulus check 2 and additional unemployment benefits from the federal government, these potentially lengthy procedures could leave people without any assistance for some time While some states provide up to 26 weeks of standard unemployment benefits, others, such as Florida and North Carolina, provide only 12 weeks, and workers in these states will need to get extensions soon [The Senate is scheduled to consider its own version of the bill next week after returning from recess, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) has indicated that he may have a final draft by early August

The bill could include additional cash payments and unemployment relief, but assistance may be limited to low-income workers Some Senators also oppose the proposal outright

If the Senate does not approve the bill by August 10, when the next recess begins, Americans will not receive relief until at least September And even if additional benefits are approved soon, it could take several weeks to receive stimulus checks2 and unemployment benefits

While it is increasingly unlikely that the Senate stimulus bill will mirror the existing proposal as is, there are already several options: in May, the US House of Representatives approved the Heroes Act, providing an additional $1,200 in direct benefits to many Americans and additional benefits to dependent children and certain workers The act was to

The White House also expressed support for a second round of stimulus, with President Trump calling for "bigger numbers" and White House economic advisor Larry Kudlow suggesting that "direct checks will probably be part" of the second stimulus package

Most direct payments paid under the Careers Act have been sent out, but if you have not yet received yours, check the status on the IRS Get My Payment app or call the IRS stimulus check phone number