Finance

How to file weekly claims for unemployment benefits

By: Dale Arasa - @inquirerdotnet

Inquirer Los Angeles / 05:19 AM July 24, 2021

A lot of people around the world file weekly claims nowadays. Pandemic unemployment continues to rise as the Delta variant raises concerns. If you haven’t filed an unemployment insurance claim yet, check our guide below.

First, we’ll talk about the American Rescue Plan Act and its unemployment benefits. Some states won’t be offering them for long, so you should file as soon as possible. We’ll show you the steps to claim unemployment compensation and ways you can cope without it.

Countries ordered their people to stay indoors to prevent the spread of COVID-19. However, this resulted in many people losing their jobs. Fortunately, unemployment insurance claims allow people to make ends meet while finding new work.

What are the types of unemployment benefits?

The coronavirus pandemic started around March 2020. In response, then-President Donald Trump signed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

It provided unemployment insurance benefits for millions of Americans. They expired last year, though. That’s why Trump signed the Continued Assistance Act on Dec. 27, 2020.

The CAA extended the due date for these benefits. Here’s a list of those benefits and their new deadlines and weekly amounts:

FPUC – This used to provide $600 every week on top of unemployment benefits. Now, Americans may receive $300 per week until March 14, 2021.
PUA – This helped people who didn’t qualify for regular unemployment benefits. These include gig workers and self-employed folks. People filed weekly claims for 50 weeks until March 14, 2021.
PEUC – This allows you to file weekly claims even after you’ve used up your benefit payments. The PEUC was also extended until March 14, 2021. Americans may file claims for 24 weeks.

ARPA helped people file weekly claims for longer

Millions are unemployed, facing eviction, have no health insurance, and going hungry. This is an EMERGENCY, and the U.S. government must respond. Any COVID agreement must include at least $1,200 in direct payments for adults, $500 for kids and supplemental unemployment benefits.

— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) December 9, 2020

President Joe Biden started his presidency during the coronavirus pandemic. In response, he offered help to the millions of Americans who lost their livelihoods.

The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 is one of his major assistance programs. It started in March, and it extends many of the unemployment insurance benefits such as:

PEUC – Now, you can file weekly claims for up to 53 weeks until September 6, 2021.
FPUC – This still provides $300 every week. Its deadline also lasts until Sept. 6, 2021.
MEUC – This helps people who earn regular and self-employed income. It also lasts until September 6.
PUA – You could file weekly benefits for 79 weeks until September 6, 2021.

Some will not be able to file weekly claims soon.

This may end for 25 states. According to some lawmakers, the benefits are delaying economic recovery. Others note the struggle of business owners to hire workers.

You might be living in one of these areas. That’s why we listed the states that will end their UI benefits early. See their deadlines below:

Alaska – June 12
Missouri – June 12
Mississippi – June 12
Iowa – June 12
Alabama – June 19
Idaho – June 19
Nebraska – June 19
New Hampshire – June 19
North Dakota – June 19
West Virginia – June 19
Wyoming – June 19
Arkansas – June 26
Florida – June 26
Georgia – June 26
Montana – June 26
Ohio – June 26
Oklahoma – June 26
South Carolina – June 26
South Dakota – June 26
Texas – June 26
Utah – June 26
Maryland – July 3
Tennessee – July 3
Arizona – July 10
Louisiana – August 3

How to start filing weekly claims

Receiving unemployment benefits may differ depending on where you live. You may check CareerOneStop to learn how claims for benefits work in each state.

For more details, please get in touch with your state government. Here are some examples of states and their different UI benefit rules:

Arizona – You needed to show your PIN and wage report to get your PEUC weekly benefit. As we listed, folks from the Copper State received benefits until July 10, 2021.
Connecticut – The UI deadline is still on September 4, 2021. However, folks from the Nutmeg State must show work search efforts. In other words, they should show they’re looking for work, or they lose benefits.
North Carolina – You must submit weekly certifications to get benefits. This also checks if you’re looking for work.
Washington – The first week when you filed weekly claims is a “waiting week.” You won’t get benefits during this period.

What if you can’t file weekly claims?

If you can’t file claims anymore, you still have other ways. The following tips may help you meet basic needs even without the COVID programs:

Use your savings – If you have money set aside, it’s time to use it. If the funds are in your bank account, stick to online purchases. This allows you to spend the money while avoiding COVID-19.
Write a budget – Make full use of the money you still have. Stop buying stuff you don’t need. Get rid of subscriptions you’re not using to lower expenses further.
Start selling stuff – You may have unused knick-knacks in your attic. It may fetch a good price on Etsy or Amazon. In turn, you may add to your remaining funds.
Keep looking for work – It is hard to find a job nowadays, but do still try. You might want to try remote work. It’s popular because it lets you work from home while keeping safe against COVID.

You might be having trouble with debts. Thankfully, there are ways you can deal with those too. Here are some tips:

Talk to your lenders – You might be having a hard time paying debts. Fortunately, lenders know the struggle too. You may try speaking with them to lower your monthly payments.
Consolidation – Mix multiple debts into one with a lower interest rate. This may come as a lump sum or a balance transfer card. The latter gives 0% APR for a few months, so you can directly lower debts.
Settlement – This is also known as debt relief. Some companies may speak with your lender to reduce your debts. However, it would be best if you only did this as a last resort. Negotiations may fail, and your credit score will drop no matter what.
Do-it-yourself (DIY) – You may try the snowball or avalanche method. Do the former by paying smaller debts first. On the other hand, start with larger debts with the latter. Check which one suits your needs.

Final thoughts

Again, check your state if you can still file weekly claims. The rules may change, so you should get the benefits before they do. If you can’t anymore, you still have ways.

If you have extra cash, you might want to build an emergency fund with it. That will be a huge help while the pandemic is ongoing. Investments may serve as an emergency fund too.

The right stocks can provide a regular fixed income. Also, cryptocurrency could preserve your buying power. Only use the money you’re willing to let go, though.

Learn more about how to file weekly claims

How many jobless claims are there?

For the week ending on July 10, initial claims totaled 360,000. This was down 26,000 from the previous week. As of June 2021, 9.5 million Americans have no jobs.

How do I file an unemployment claim?

Each state has different guidelines and deadlines. Also, some of them may have changed recently. Please check your state government for more information.