Explainer: Extending and Phasing Out COVID Unemployment Support Responsibly
Dec. 21, 2020 - Blog - Coronavirus Bulletin - In Case You Missed It... - Press Releases
House Republicans have ensured meaningful reforms and program integrity requirements will accompany a temporary extension of unemployment programs created by the CARES Act that expire Dec. 31, 2020.
Unemployed individuals get an additional $300/week from Dec. 26, 2020 to March 14, 2021.
Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA): Extends and phases out PUA, a temporary federal program covering self-employed and gig workers, to March 14 (after which no new applicants) through April 5, 2021.
* Averts another “cliff": Allows PUA recipients as of March 14 to stay on three additional weeks before their benefits end.
* Provides additional weeks for those who would otherwise exhaust benefits by extending PUA from 39 to 50 weeks- with all benefits ending April 5, 2021.
Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC): Extends and phases out PEUC, which provides additional weeks when state unemployment runs out, to March 14 (after which no new applications) through April 5, 2021.
* Averts another “cliff": Allows PEUC recipients as of March 14 to stay on three additional weeks before their benefits end.
* Provides additional weeks for those who would otherwise exhaust benefits by increasing weeks available from 13 to 24-with all benefits ending April 5, 2021.
Other Unemployment Provisions: Extends provisions to March 14, 2021, including interest-free loans to states, flexible staffing, and relief for non-profits and state and local government.
Strengthens Program Integrity. Includes requirement for applicants to provide documentation of employment (not just self-certification as is currently the case) and verify applicant identity.
* Includes Return-to-Work reporting requirements from House Republican’s Back to Work Bonus bill: States must have a place for employers to report when someone turns down a job and must notify claimants of the requirement to accept suitable work, unless there is good cause for refusal.
SUBCOMMITTEE: Worker and Family Support
