Stimulus checks could come quickly, but the jobless may have a wait for unemployment benefits

The $1.9 trillion Covid relief bill that President Joe Biden championed even before taking office is expected to land on his desk in coming days, but it could take some time for struggling Americans to see all the benefits.

While the $1,400 stimulus payments could hit people's bank accounts within days of Biden signing the bill, the extension of federal unemployment benefits as well as the enhanced child tax credit and more generous Affordable Care Act subsidies may take a few weeks -- or even a few months -- to arrive. The exact timing would depend on when federal departments can write the guidelines and how long it takes them and state agencies to then implement the new provisions. When it comes to unemployment benefits, there is little time to waste. More than 11 million Americans are set to start seeing their pandemic unemployment benefits lapse this weekend.