Coronavirus - Unemployment Compensation

[BlueTip]

My wife filed for unemployment and is getting paid pretty much what we expected, around 60% of her regular take-home pay.

 

Has anyone here received payment from the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation fund?

 

If I read correctly it's supposed to be $600/week on top of the regular unemployment pay.

 

I can't find a way to sign up for it or determine if my wife qualifies.

 

Anyone figured out how to get this additional $$?

 

Thanks.

 

And of course I spelled coronavirus wrong. One of those days.

[Hangman]

It’s supposed to be automatic. I have heard some people are experiencing a lag, and that the funds would be deposited in a lump sum for all weeks you don’t get the $600. Can’t remember where I heard that.

 

The $600 is also a separate transaction from the normal unemployment benefit payment, from my understanding.

[rjs4470]

My 23 year old son who’s in grad school was temporarily laid off from his server job. He filed and started receiving his payments last week. He got a separate $600 deposit a couple days ago. The $600 is active from 3/29. You don’t need to do anything , as those payments will happen automatically. Everyone on unemployment will get this payment, regardless of how much you are receiving in UI compensation.

[BlueTip]

Thanks for the assistance. I'm hearing the same thing from a couple other sources so 'sit and wait' seems to be the current strategy. If/when this gets resolved for us I'll post the results here.

[BlueTip]

The latest....

 

My wife got her regular unemployment check deposit overnight last night. It was a few days late but it's there now.

 

She also received $1200 to cover the $600/wk we were discussing here.

 

Just fyi, she only signed up for unemployment on the state web site like you would for any normal claim.

 

She did not do anything extra to get the $600/wk, as some of you guys predicted.

 

Hope that helps someone else.

 

Thanks.

[All Blue]

So with unemployment + this $600 dollars a week are there people making more money by staying home?

[Getslow]

So with unemployment + this $600 dollars a week are there people making more money by staying home?

 

By staying home rather than doing what?

[rjs4470]

So with unemployment + this $600 dollars a week are there people making more money by staying home?

 

Yes. Let's say you make $25k per year or about $480/week. According to the calculator on the KY UI site, you'd qualify for roughly $300/week in benefits. Tack on the $600, and now you're making $900/week, or almost $47k annualized. That's a little less than double what you'd normally make. But some folks who went on unemployment, and were brought back due to the payroll protection loans, aren't really happy because they are losing a big chunk of change since they no longer qualify for UI benefits.

 

But lets be real. This only lasts until June. And many of these folks no longer have jobs to go to, and will have very few options once UI ends for them. The job market isn't going to be robust for quite some time. So in the short term, they are doing well, but it's not going to last long.

[All Blue]

By staying home rather than doing what?

Working.

[Getslow]

Working.

 

Working where?

[rjs4470]

Working where?

 

Right....most didn't choose to stop working. And the hiring market isn't exactly robust right now. Being on unemployment is not usually a choice. And even if it is, it doesn't pay well (except in this unprecedented instance), and doesn't last very long.

[PurplePride92]

Right....most didn't choose to stop working. And the hiring market isn't exactly robust right now. Being on unemployment is not usually a choice. And even if it is, it doesn't pay well (except in this unprecedented instance), and doesn't last very long.

 

And didn’t they extend it 13 weeks because of this? It will end at some point. Then more decisions will have to be made depending on where we are with the virus.

[PurplePride92]

Is it an extra $600 per week added on to your unemployment or is it a one time payment?

[rjs4470]

And didn’t they extend it 13 weeks because of this? It will end at some point. Then more decisions will have to be made depending on where we are with the virus.

 

Extended to a total of 39 weeks. So you get about 10 months total. With the extra $600 through the end of July (I incorrectly said June in a previous post). I know people getting a free ride bothers many, but really, if the $600 is keeping people at home, that's kind of a good thing during the pandemic. If people are forced to go out and look for work, it's all that much harder to keep this thing contained. If all goes well, and things can be back to normal by July, all is good. If not, as PP92 said, more decisions will need to be made.

[rjs4470]

Is it an extra $600 per week added on to your unemployment or is it a one time payment?

 

Per week. It was meant to be able for the average worker to be able to replace 100% of their normal salary for the time being. Those making less than average come out ahead and lower income earners can come out way ahead. Those making more than average are still behind, but at least not as far behind.