Representative Ken Gordon recently joined his colleagues in the Massachusetts Legislature to pass a bill that will provide additional Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits to low-income families and relief to non-profit institutions and employers. The bill is a part of the Legislature’s ongoing efforts to support residents during the COVID-19 public health crisis.
“Access to meaningful unemployment insurance provides the safety net our workers need during this difficult time,” said Rep. Gordon. “This bill takes away the one-week waiting period, increases the maximum benefit period to 30 weeks and meaningfully adjusts the dependent allotment, while protecting employers from increased premiums. It’s a win-win situation that we all need.”
THE COMPONENTS OF THE BILL INCLUDE:
Protection for Employers. Employers who participate in UI pay contributions based on their layoff experience. Like other forms of insurance, employers that are more likely to have workers use unemployment compensation are asked to pay more in the system. The system does not anticipate a situation where employers across a number of sectors have been forced to significantly reduce their workforces due to situations outside of their control. This bill prevents layoffs related to coronavirus from negatively impacting employer’s future UI contributions.
Extending Unemployment Benefit Period. The number of weeks of unemployment compensation available in Massachusetts is tied to unemployment rates around the state. This trigger did not anticipate a situation, however, in which unemployment grows rapidly in a very short period of time. This bill ensures that the 30-week benefit period is triggered by a significant uptick in weekly unemployment claims.
Lifting the Cap on Dependency Allotment. This bill eliminates the 50% cap for the dependency allotment providing additional benefits to low-income families. This increase will be in addition to the $600 per week benefit add-on provided for in the CARES Act for all workers eligible for state or federal benefits. This provision is effective for 18 months after the end of the Covid19 emergency and the end of enhanced federal benefits.
Currently, UI recipients are entitled to an additional $25 per week for each child in the family, capped at 50% of a recipient’s base allotment. The result is that workers with particularly low allotments, such as low wage workers, can easily be capped out of receiving these additional amounts.
Non-Profit Contribution Grace Period. Presently, many non-profits self-insure for unemployment claims. This means that when layoffs in the sector occur, non-profits pay the cost of those benefits dollar for dollar at the next billing period. This bill provides a 120-day grace period for non-profits to make these contributions. This delay will allow the state to review additional changes that are warranted to mitigate the impact on non-profits. The CARES Act provides 50% reimbursement for self-insured benefit payments during the Coronavirus crisis.
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