WASHINGTON — With less than a month remaining before enhanced unemployment benefits expire, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand is urging Senate leadership to extend Pandemic Unemployment Assistance and Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation programs in the next coronavirus relief package.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, millions of workers have lost their jobs and nearly 8 million Americans have slid into poverty. Rising COVID-19 cases in New York and across the country continue to threaten public health and the economic recovery as businesses — especially in the service sector and arts which have been hit hardest by the economic crisis — may be forced to close again or scale back operations to contain the virus.
While the CARES Act authorized the PUA program — which provides unemployment assistance to domestic workers, freelance workers, contractors, and other workers in alternative work arrangements — and the PEUC program — which temporarily provides a 13-week extension of benefits for those whose regular unemployment benefits have expired but are still struggling to find employment during the pandemic — those benefits are set to expire on December 26th, leaving nearly 12 million workers to wonder how they will make ends meet during the holiday season. In a letter, Gillibrand and her colleagues called for these benefits to be extended and additional weeks of eligibility to both programs to provide a vital lifeline for families struggling to stay afloat.
“This year has been incredibly difficult for hardworking Americans who have lost their livelihoods through no fault of their own. For months many families have been one missed paycheck away from a financial crisis and now this holiday season will carry the additional worry of being able to make ends meet when these critical programs expire,” said Gillibrand. “It is unbelievably cruel that Senate Republicans have dragged their feet through most of the year and failed to pass a relief package to prevent this. As coronavirus cases rise again in every corner of our country the need for support is urgent. The Senate must act to extend these vital unemployment benefits and I’m urging Leader McConnell to finally prioritize the needs of struggling families.”
