Americans who lost their jobs may start to see heftier checks of unemployment within this week. However, this depends on where they live. To address the coronavirus pandemic savaging economy, Congress included a $2.2 trillion relief package. States start to implement the historic enhancement of unemployment benefits. Moreover, on top of state benefits, the kit consists of a $600 weekly increase for up to four months.
The epicenter of the outbreak in the United States is New York. Thus, amongst the earliest beneficiaries, there are unemployed people in New York. Retroactive to as early as March 29, laid off-workers in most states will eventually get the full amount due.
Nevertheless, on the extra funds, states had to wait until the federal Department of Labor issued guidance. Thus, the federal government will thoroughly cover it. A week after the bill was signed, that guidance came out this past weekend.
Nevertheless, many states still do not have a timetable for implementing the new pandemic unemployment assistance program. It covers those who lost their jobs or who had to stop working due to the coronavirus. It is because it requires a more extensive change to their systems and applications.
This pandemic program covers the jobless benefits to gig economy workers, self-employed, and independent contractors. They usually do not qualify in many states, and now they are scrambling for figuring out what documentation these workers will need and who exactly qualifies.
Benefits
Nevertheless, jobless New Yorkers who are already getting an unemployment check could expect to see the additional $600 this week. That is what, on Monday, a state Department of Labor spokeswoman told CNN. Moreover, in two or three weeks, those who file new claims will start to receive both their enhanced federal and state payments.
Eligible unemployed residents, in Missouri, will start to receive the federal benefits as early as the week of April 12. It will be after the state Division of Employment Security implements various procedures and updates its technology. It is what the agency said on Monday.
Fred Payne is the commissioner of the Workforce Development and State Department. He said on Monday that Indiana expects to start to send out the more extensive checks the week of April 20.
The additional funds can’t come soon enough for Michelle Parks.
At the end of March in Indiana, the mother of two was furloughed from her job at a retailer. Until May, state officials initially said the extra $600 might not show up in checks. It made her “extremely nervous” since her state benefit will only be $390 a week. Nevertheless, they still need more than $600 a month in health insurance premiums for maintaining the family’s coverage.
She said they she and her husband does not know what to do. She wrote to her federal lawmakers concerning the delay. Parks is saying that she needs money now.
Parks said that she was able to file her first claim online very quickly at the end of March. Thus, she was happy when on Monday, she heard she would receive the federal benefits in around two weeks.
