Millions of Americans have temporarily lost their unemployment benefits after President Donald Trump failed to sign the Covid relief bill into law.

US President-elect Joe Biden had warned of "devastating consequences" if Mr Trump continued to delay signing but the Saturday deadline has now passed.

Unemployment benefits and a ban on evictions will be affected.

The package worth $900bn (£665bn) was approved by Congress after months of difficult negotiations and compromises.

Mr Trump says he wants to give people bigger one-off payments.

The bill includes the payment of $600 to Americans earning less than $75,000 a year. Mr Trump says he wants Americans to receive $2,000 but Republicans in Congress refused to agree to the change.

In a tweet late on Saturday evening local time, Mr Trump again defended his position on the issue, blaming China for the coronavirus outbreak.

The coronavirus economic relief comes with a $1.4tn federal budget attached. A partial government shutdown will begin on Tuesday unless legislators pass a stopgap bill before then - but this would not include coronavirus aid and Mr Trump would still have to sign it.

About 14 million Americans would be affected by a lapse in unemployment benefit payments and new stimulus cheques.

In a strongly worded statement published on the transition website on Saturday, Mr Biden described Mr Trump's refusal to sign the bill as an "abdication of responsibility".

"It is the day after Christmas, and millions of families don't know if they'll be able to make ends meet because of President Donald Trump's refusal to sign an economic relief bill approved by Congress with an overwhelming and bipartisan majority," Mr Biden said.