How has the loss of unemployment benefits impacted you? We want to know
After weekly unemployment benefits expired at the end of July and the coronavirus pandemic continues to keep thousands out of work, The Modesto Bee wants to know how individuals in Stanislaus County have been affected.
The $600-a-week federal subsidy was enacted by Congress early during the pandemic, as part of the multitrillion-dollar CARES Act, a stimulus bill designed to help the economy in the first months of the coronavirus pandemic. The subsidy had been in place for about four months, from April to late July.
Since the passage of the CARES Act, lawmakers have struggled to pass a second coronavirus relief bill, though talks may resume in September when the Senate returns from its scheduled summer recess. Lawmakers hope to break a political stalemate that has prevented new legislation from being passed since the spring, with Republicans circulating a narrow stimulus bill draft that would provide nearly half the unemployment benefits of the CARES Act.
Additionally, President Donald Trump on Aug. 8 announced that states who apply through FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, would be able to secure $300 in federal unemployment benefits for their residents. Gov. Gavin Newsom has said he is working on processing the $300 in the president’s proposal “as quickly and efficiently as possible.” Newsom announced in a Friday COVID-19 update that he anticipates the benefits could be available as early as the week of Sept. 6-10.
In the meantime, The Modesto Bee wants to know how the loss in unemployment benefits is impacting residents all across Stanislaus County. We encourage anyone to take a few minutes and fill out the form below to let us know how the coronavirus pandemic and loss of unemployment payments have affected you.
This story was originally published August 31, 2020 at 4:00 AM.
