As part of the historic expansion of unemployment benefits under the CARES Act, lawmakers created three programs to help unemployed Americans. While the $ 600 payout only lasted until July, the other two expire shortly after Christmas.
The Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program allows independent contractors, self-employed workers and temporary workers to qualify for payments. It also opens the program for those who cannot work because of the pandemic, including if they or their family members are sick or quarantined or if their children’s schools are closed.
About 9.3 million people filed for action under this program in early December, according to the latest data from the Department of Labor.
In addition, Congress created the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation program, which provides an additional 13 weeks of benefits paid by the federal government to those left without state payments, which normally last 26 weeks. Nearly 4.8 million long-term unemployed workers were on this program earlier this month, according to the Department of Labor.
If these two main programs expire, payments will end for more than 12 million Americans, according to an analysis by The Century Foundation.
But even if Trump signs the legislation, it will still take a few weeks for state unemployment agencies to reprogram their computers to continue these two programs and add the new $ 300 weekly federal incentive, said Michele Evermore, senior policy analyst under the National Insurance Act. Project work. They would first have to receive guidance from the Department of Labor with the new rules.
Although benefits are retroactive, the unemployed will be left with no payment until their states are ready.
Eviction protection
It is estimated that 9.2 million tenants who lost income from employment during the pandemic are behind in rent, or 23% of such tenants, according to an analysis of data from the Census Bureau of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities .
The aid package would extend eviction protection until January 31 and provide $ 25 billion in rental assistance to those who lost their sources of income during the pandemic.
Coronavirus aid funds for states
Congress provided state and local governments with $ 150 billion to help cover expenses related to the coronavirus. But states must use these funds by December 30.
States are on track to spend all funds on time, according to a survey by the National Governors Association in 42 states and territories. Most of the money was used for health-related expenses, financial aid, education and daycare and government spending.
The package would give states and localities another year to spend the money.
CNN’s Katie Lobosco contributed to this story.