Governor Ned Lamont and Connecticut Department of Labor Commissioner Kurt Westby today provided an update on the Emergency Coronavirus Recovery Act of 2020, known as the CARES Act extension. The law protects Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) and Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) programs; allocates an additional $300 per week benefit for all claimants for up to 11 weeks; extends the interest waiver for Trust Fund borrowing; and continues 100 percent federal funding for the Shared Work program.Governor Lamont: CARES Act II Will Provide Relief for Unemployed and Help Connecticut Businesses in Economic Recovery
“This legislation is vital to providing stability for both individuals and businesses in the state,” Governor Lamont said. “Tens of thousands were at risk of losing unemployment benefits, but thanks to Connecticut’s Congressional delegation, our residents now know that help is on the way. Our state has been creative and diligent in ensuring our residents who need relief receive it, and we remain committed to getting these programs rolled out quickly. We will work with our residents and businesses to ensure they are using all the resources available to them to make it through these tough times.”
“This is much-needed relief for Connecticut’s unemployed residents,” Commissioner Westby said. “The PUA and PEUC programs alone cover 64,000 people, more than half of whom would lose benefits entirely without federal action. With the Trust Fund and Shared Work provisions, there is an eye on economic recovery as well – keeping workers attached to jobs will be critical for businesses ramping back up. I applaud Connecticut’s Congressional delegation and everyone who worked tirelessly to keep these programs running. They are a lifeline for residents and businesses in our state.”
Key components include:
State labor agencies must wait for guidance from the U.S. Department of Labor before implementing many new unemployment provisions. Guidance is released in the form of Unemployment Insurance Program Letters that generally come out within several weeks of changes to the law. Since these are extensions of existing programs with operational funding structures, the Connecticut Department of Labor does not expect significant delays on the state side but cannot operationalize the provisions in the absence of federal guidance. Updates on implementation timing and program details will be released and posted to www.FileCTUI.com as they become available.
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