The United States President Donald Trump implemented a $300-a-week temporary unemployment insurance boost. Nevertheless, it will end soon, and there is no extension in sight.
On Thursday, the Federal Emergency Management Agency said in an email to the Associated Press that it has distributed thirty billion dollars of the 44$ billion it had set aside for the benefit. Furthermore, the agency said that fund was enough to cover six weeks of additional jobless aid beginning August 1. Thus, unemployed workers will not receive any more after this week.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency said that all eligible recipients would get the three hundred dollars to boost to cover six weeks. Nevertheless, that period ended on September five.
Some states had technical obstacles. Thus, they delayed the payments. The federal government still processes to approve other states’ plans to distribute the money.
Eligible workers who have received less than six weeks’ worth or have not yet received the $300-a-week supplement will receive payments for their full share. It is according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The fund will be dry after that.
$600-a-week benefit adopted by Congress expired. Thus, after it, the United States President Donald Trump created the program.
Initially, the Federal government did not have an estimate of how long the money would last. Nevertheless, six weeks is in line with that experts forecasted.
Congressional Democrats and Republicans and the Trump administration have been unable to agree on a new coronavirus relief package. The package would include an extension of the unemployment supplement.
Trump against Tuley
Recipients said that the extra jolt of money from the federal government kept them afloat. It is because the economy cratered during stay-at-home business and order closings.
The government reported that 13.4 million Americans continue to receive state unemployment benefits. Nevertheless, not all of them receive the additional three hundred dollars.
The extra weekly payments were with a significant string attached. It was applicable only for the people who receive at least a hundred dollars a week with other unemployment insurance benefits. Thus, it cut out hundreds of thousands of low-wage earners, gig workers, and people who had jobs for short periods.
For example, one of them is Philip Tuley from California, Clearlake Oaks.
His unemployment benefits equal to $260 month or $65 week. It was so low. The reason is that 63 years old Tuley had previously taken a year off after spending two decades as an assistant educator at a school district in rural Northern California. He was substituting recently. Moreover, he was about to return to his district full time when the pandemic hit.
Because his average earnings over two years were low, his unemployment benefit came so low as well. He said that he had been turned away from a local food bank. The reason for that was that its shelves were bare.
Tuley said that Donald Trump’s orders are the reason for the predicament he and other workers of low wages are in.
To enhance the payment, a handful of states kicked in an additional hundred dollars per person.
