Alabama’s distressed small businesses were thrown another lifeline Friday after President Donald Trump signed a new bipartisan $484 billion economic relief bill, offering new hope to the thousands of small businesses who were shutout from the first rescue package. The bill was passed by a voice vote in the Senate on Monday and passed 388-5-1 in the House on Thursday.

Approximately $310 billion of the new package will go to topping up the now exhausted Paycheck Protection Program. The initial round of funding for the program was depleted in just two weeks.

But despite the welcome news, Alabama’s small business owners still in need of a vital cash loan say they are worried about missing out again. Misinformation and changing rules from the federally managed Small Business Administration has left owners confused, while poorly prepared banks have frustrated longtime customers.

“My bank let me down by not checking the application for two and half weeks,” said Kristi Barber, owner of the Cheese Cottage restaurant in downtown Mobile, who submitted her Payment Protection Program loan application hours after PNC bank began allowing customers to apply for part of the first $349 billion plan. “PNC later called and apologized, and I gave them an ear full. They commiserated with me best they could, but I put this squarely on the corporations back for not removing the red tape involved internally with their underwriting and review process.”

She added: “I know I’m not the only business who has suffered from this, I just hope the banks will make more effort at helping their customers in the future.”

Barber said her bank sent an email explaining that she would not be receiving any funds. The reason: she had not initialed two pages on the application, but this was brought to her attention the same day the federal funds had been used up, she said. She eventually reopened her business April 20 and has since seen incredible local support with people taking advantage of salads, sandwiches and pizza kits.

The Paycheck Protection Program was officially launched April 3, allowing small business with under 500 employees to take loans of up to $10 million from an initial pool of $349 billion. The loans have since been wildly popular, owing to the ultra-low 1% interest rate that doesn’t have to be paid for the first six months.

However, a loophole in the program allowed large national chains to apply because each store had fewer that 500 employees. Shake Shack and Ruth’s Chris are two examples of the many corporations that were able to get some of the money. Ruth’s Chris has vowed to return the $20 million it received.

But the biggest draw is that the loans, principal and interest will be forgiven if businesses don’t layoff workers in the first eight weeks.

The SBA-backed loans, issued through banks, can be used for salaries, rent, and other expenses and will be forgiven in amounts depending on how many employees can be kept or rehired.

Seems simple enough.

Small business owners all over the country scrambled to the banks only to find most were not ready to deal with the influx.

Before anyone could get a grip on what was happening, the money was gone. The funds dried up within two weeks, leaving many stranded and wondering where to seek help.

While small banks have struggled with the volume of applications, Wells Fargo and other massive institutions that do have the staffing and infrastructure in place, reportedly blocked many longtime customers.

Caroline Lyons de Freitas and her husband approached Wells Fargo to help out with his loss of income as an independent contractor.

“I have been Wells Fargo customers for over 20 years, but we only have personal accounts,” she said in a personal message to AL.com. “We pay his taxes annually out of our personal account. Wells Fargo told me that because we don’t have a business account or a line of credit, we’re SOL.”

She added: “It blows me away that private lending institutions are allowed to do this to people trying to access this program when loans are 100% guaranteed by the federal government. I called the head of the local SBA chapter and he said banks are completely within their right do that.”

Lyons de Freitas said she applied to the SBA’s economic disaster relief fund because she was told it was a more streamline and simple process. Those funds had also run out.

In response to issues being faced by small businesses, a spokesperson from the SBA said:

“The existing SBA 7(a) network was chosen because it has the broadest reach, allowing the greatest number of loans to be made through many already-existing outlets (lenders). SBA 7(a) loans are made by SBA-approved lenders to the borrowers, and the SBA guaranties a portion of the loan for the lender, to reduce their risk. In the case of the Paycheck Protection Program, that guaranty is 100%.”

Alabama small businesses received about 28,000 loans worth $4.86 billion through the program, according to the Alabama Banker’s Association. Nationwide, there were a total of 1.6 million loans, with the overall average size of loans approved on a national level totaling $206,000.

Of the $310 billion set aside for payment protection, about $60 billion will be exclusively given to small business that do not have established banking relationships. Those include rural and minority-owned companies.

In Birmingham, small businesses and nonprofits that were unable to apply for a Paycheck Protection Program loan because they didn’t have a previous relationship with a bank can apply through Hope Credit Union. Birmingham Strong will work with the businesses and nonprofits to submit applications.

But even though Lyons de Freitas knows new funds are on the way to banks, she still has concerns about what will happen down the line once banks want the money back or if people default on payments.

“Well, I’m honestly nervous about accessing the PPP loan now after talking with the SBA guy because private lending institutions may have a green light to harass the shit of our people if something happens with the loan or they get behind on payments,” she said. “Many people are under the impression the loans will just be forgiven if certain criteria are met but I’m sure that’s not going to be the case for everyone.”

Barber and Lyons de Freitas both said they think banks are favoring companies taking bigger loans so they can take advantage of the increase in origination fees on each loan.

And they might be right.

Small-business owners across the country have launched lawsuits against major banks such as JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Bank of America and U.S. Bank, alleging that they prioritized larger loans in the PPP because of the increased fees schedule.

Plaintiffs in the cases say that SBA data shows lenders processed twice as many $150,000 and under loans in the final three days as compared to the first 11 days.

The program allows banks to earn 5 percent origination fees on loans of up to $350,000; 3 percent on loans from $350,000 to $2 million; and 1 percent on loans between $2 million and $10 million, according to Bloomberg. For example, that means a $350,000 loan would accrue a $17,500 fee, compared with $100,000 on a $10 million loan.

Rick Keifer, who owns Ultimate Relocation, a condo business in Orange Beach and Gulf Shores with his wife, has had similar experiences with the SBA and his bank, BB&T. He has lost $39,000 in bookings since the crisis began and says he’s not had any help from the federal government or his bank.

“We applied for disaster funding on April 7 and got a confirmation number,” he said via an email and later a call with AL.com. “Then I called SBA on April 10 as I had not heard anything and was told by SBA everything was in order and they would be calling to confirm my information and process the application. [It] never happened.”

Keifer said after he requested the PPPL application from his bank he received automated emails on the April 7, 11 and 13 saying the bank was waiting on applications from the SBA or were processing received applications in batches. On April 16 he was told in an email the funds had completely run out. He never received an application.

“These guys are failures and they’ve just lost a customer,” he said.

It’s not yet known exactly when the next round of money will be available.

Barber who owns the Cheese Cottage said that while the last three days of curbside pickups have been positive for her business, she knows it might not carry her and her embattled employees through to the end of the current crisis.

“I reopened thinking I would have the loan by now, so we’re still nervous about what will happen next,” she said. “But after I posted my vent of what happened on social media other banks in the area reached out and are helping me with my next application. Fingers crossed.”