Questions About the Stimulus Package and Unemployment Insurance

You probably know the numbers by now. Unemployment rate over 20%. More than 40 million people have filed for unemployment benefits in the United States. And then there is the $2.2 trillion emergency relief bill that President Trump signed in March, with a second stimulus package passing the House earlier in May.

First of all, every state's requirements and benefits for unemployment insurance are different. During "normal times," benefits are designed to help unemployed people cover their costs on a temporary basis, namely until they are able to find and secure another job.

However, the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the face of unemployment insurance, at least in the short term. Under traditional unemployment, a person would not be able to collect benefits if they were self-employed. Because of the stimulus package, though, a person is eligible to receive benefits as a part-time or self-employed worker under the following conditions:

• They were going to start a new job but were not able to do so because of the pandemic.
• Their employer was closed because of the virus.
• They're not working because they have to care for children or other family members who would typically be at school or some other facility, but are not because of COVID-19.

But wait! There's more good news. That's because the stimulus package also provides an extra $600 per week on top of whatever you receive through your state's unemployment package. (We would assume that most of you live in the state of Ohio.) Not only that, but it will also cover you for an additional 13 weeks.

Once again, during "normal times," the maximum amount of time that you would be eligible to receive unemployment benefits in the state of Ohio is 26 weeks. But with the passage of the stimulus package, you will be able to apply for and receive an additional 13 weeks of benefits through the end of the year for a total of 39 weeks.

The most difficult part of this whole process is actually successfully applying for unemployment benefits. Unfortunately, most states' systems have become overwhelmed, which has resulted in confusion and delays for those trying to collect benefits.

For more information, visit the Ohio Department of Job and Family services website at https://unemploymenthelp.ohio.gov.

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