The CARES Act Guarantees Adjuncts $600 per Week Unemployment Through July 2020
by Adam Raimond
Cynthia Vacca Davis has taught as an adjunct writing instructor in Virginia for 11 years. When asked whether she intended to apply for unemployment this summer she said, “I do plan to apply, but I have no idea how it will turn out!”
Ivona Maric teaches mathematics at a college in central Ohio. Like Davis, Maric expects to apply for unemployment for the summer and, perhaps, even the Fall. “I will have [apply for unemployment] with the way things are looking for the summer (all online, limited number of sections, taken up by FT faculty) and it will most likely be the same case for the fall.”
Both women will be able to take advantage of a federal program that guarantees a minimum of $600 per week of unemployment compensation to low-income and gig workers.
When Congress passed a $2.2 trillion stimulus package to combat the economic crisis created by the coronavirus outbreak, the top-line item was the $1,200 payments that will (eventually) go out to most Americans.
But the crown jewel of the legislation was the expansion of unemployment insurance that will benefit people who’ve lost their work due to the crisis. And there are a lot of those people. This week, the Labor Department reported another 5.2 million filed for unemployment, bringing the four-week total over 22 million.
After weeks of delay, the extra federal benefits, which are added to the state unemployment payments, began arriving for many Americans this week. Here’s what we know about the expanded benefits created by the CARES Act:
Who qualifies for unemployment benefits?
Broadly speaking, anyone who has lost their job, been furloughed, or is unable to work or find work because of the coronavirus crisis. That includes people who leave work due to risk of exposure or to take care of family.
Crucially, the self-employed and independent contractors now qualify for unemployment through the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program. This temporary, federally funded program allows those who don’t qualify for traditional unemployment to receive benefits during the pandemic. That includes gig workers, such as ride share drivers, who have lost money because no one needs a ride anymore.
How do you file for unemployment benefits?
File online or by phone through your state. You can find out the number or URL at CareerOneStop.org, a website sponsored by the Labor Department. According to MarketWatch, you’ll need to provide personal information along with information on your most recent job. That includes your start and end date, along with details on your wages. Given the sheer number of filers, though, it might be tough to get through.
How much can you get?
The amount varies by state, with most states replacing roughly half of a person’s income, up to a maximum. Each state determines how much people receive based on their prior income and other factors, and some states are far more generous than others. In February, the average payment was $215 in Mississippi and $550 in Massachusetts. Nationwide, the average payment is roughly $385 per week.
The extra $600 from the federal government will be added to that total each week until July 31.
Though the extra benefits are only now making their way to the unemployed, they will be retroactive to March 29. That means the first check some people receive, provided they can show they’ve been unemployed since late March, could be for several thousand dollars.
When will the money arrive?
It depends on where you live. Many Americans have already started to receive the payments. California began including the extra federal benefits in unemployment checks on Sunday. Florida started Tuesday. A total of 32 states say they will begin adding the extra federal benefits to unemployment payments by the end of this week.
Some of the delay is due to the inability of states to handle the overwhelming number of filers, both online and by phone. Many states have been forced to adapt antiquated technology to process the new claims.
Connecticut, for example, was forced to update a system that was only able to process payouts in the triple digits. Then there are the dozen states or so that rely in some capacity on COBOL, an outdated programming language that “almost nobody knows,” The Verge reports.
The federal government sent $1 billion to states to improve their unemployment systems, which is reportedly being used to hire more workers and update technology.
How long do added unemployment benefits last?
The extra federal benefits will be paid through July 31, and the self-employed will be eligible for benefits through the end of 2020. Another provision of the CARES Act provides for an additional 13 weeks of state unemployment benefits after someone has exhausted their regular benefits. In most states, people can only get unemployment benefits for 26 weeks. This makes it 39.
