The biggest news of the week, at least for unemployed Colorado dancers, is that federal benefits could start as early as January 29th.
It’s not necessary to remind the unemployed, but let’s do it anyway: this is the $ 300 weekly bonus for 11 weeks, also known as Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC).
The State Department of Labor and Employment is implementing the federal benefits in four phases. In addition to FPUC, the first phase is open to those who have not exhausted their pandemic benefits, also known as Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) and Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC).
The timing depends on Deloitte, the state’s vendor, turning on the system, which could potentially take place on Jan. 29, said Phil Spesshardt, the public service manager for benefits.
Spesshardt taught me how it is supposed to work:
- Regular unemployment Those who have been receiving benefits since Christmas can see the $ 300 being sent to their bank accounts on the evening of January 29th. This benefit is automatic and retrospective until December 27, and four weeks FPUC will appear simultaneously. This, of course, assumes that Deloitte turns on the system. But once the program starts, send the files to the bank and then the bank has to make the money available.
- PUA If you have not used up PUA for 39 weeks on 26 December, you will be notified by the state that you can reopen your PUA account. If this happens on January 29, you can reopen your claim and at the same time certify for the past four weeks, and the state will send the money to the bank that evening. The new law adds another 11 weeks.
- PEUC If you still had money in your account on 26 December, the state will notify you that you can open your account again on 29 January. You can last until December 27 and the state will send the payment to your bank that evening. The new assistance plan adds another 11 weeks.
- Exhausted PUA and PEUC – You are part of Phase 2. After the state gets the above people back into the system, it plans to tackle this second group of people.
- Extensive benefits for the state (BEE) – Many are in phase 2. More on this.
→ FPUC, the weekly bonus of $ 300, is included in weekly benefits for almost everyone who is unemployed. In many cases, it is paid automatically and lasts for 11 weeks or until March 13th.
→ Retrospective FPUC is also paid automatically at the first payment request. This is one of the things that had to be programmed, so remember this when you question why it all took so long. Skip this step, and users will have to submit a backdated claim, overwhelm the call center with questions and wait who knows how much longer.
Phase 2: exhausted benefits
Phase 2, which begins after being programmed into the new computer system, includes those who depleted their PEUC and PUA last year.
Now Spesshardt has shared an interesting difference between the programs. Most people who have read so far know that PEUC is only for people in the state’s unemployment who have used up their regular benefits. And PUA is for gig workers and the self-employed who do not pay unemployment insurance.
But the PUA calculation is based on weeks, while the PEUC calculation is based on dollars.
Since the CARES law provided 39 weeks to PUA people, some people had already used up 39 weeks last year. These people have to wait for phase 2. The federal plan offers another 11 weeks.
Meanwhile, the original 13-week PEUC program is based on 13 stop one’s weekly benefit. So if someone works part-time, they are not paid a week’s unemployment. The rest stays with their account. After 13 weeks, they may still have money in it. It is therefore not exhausted (and the people will be in phase 1).
But if you have exhausted PEUC and have no money left, then you are part of phase 2 and will have another 11 weeks when the system is ready for you.
As for BEE, most will return to PEUC for 11 weeks. But more on BEE below.
Phase 3: Confusing benefits
Something new this year and oh so nice for the state to program in its computer system is the mixed earner. These are people who have qualified for both PUA and regular unemployment.
The new federal plan took into account people who earned more money than performance workers, yet regularly did work. According to last year’s rules, these “mixed earners” had to use up their regular benefits before moving on to PUA, even if they earned much more than gig workers. This caused some people to struggle financially because most of their income from the previous year came from performances.
This rule is still the same this year, but the new law allows mixed earners to get an extra $ 100 a week if they use up their usual benefits.
“This one is very difficult to program,” Spesshardt said.
Phase 4: Super confusing benefits
This phase includes people who have jumped between programs.
There may be others. Spesshardt calls it a kind of everything for people who cannot easily join one of the earlier phases, as programmed.
No retrospective BEE
There is a smaller group of people who last saw a benefit test on 28 November. It was then that the state’s expanded benefits ended a month earlier than expected, after Colorado’s unemployment rate fell below 5%. Everyone did their best to try to get Colorado back on BEE, including state lawmakers and U.S. Senator Michael Bennet, who helped get the right language in the new federal bill.
It worked. But …
When BEE ends at the end of November, the state recommends that people apply for PUA. Many did. And many saw a larger weekly check as PUA’s minimum was $ 223, while regular unemployment was $ 25. And this has created a problem of retroactive BEE.
“There is a large group of low-wage earners that if we had used the (retroactive) option to date BEE back,” Spesshardt said, “we would have created all sorts of overpayments for people who could least afford it.”
The state had to choose whether to allow retroactive payments or not. It was decided not to do so due to the large number of people who would have to repay PUA benefits and then be left on lower paying benefits.
“It was a struggle for us because we appreciate what Congress did to give us the opportunity,” he said. ‘But the more we looked at it, the more detrimental it was to plaintiffs. … We tried to look at what is the largest group being helped by doing so. ‘
More stories about unemployment:
→ Much more information on unemployment was shared. I will try to update it this weekend as my time allows. Follow up!
UPDATED January 23: For those with ‘integrity issues’ in their accounts, this means your account has been flagged as fraudulent. Such users should use the ID.me app to verify themselves (mentioned last week). A few other things to know:
- CDLE will send you the ID.me link to register. Do not go to the company website.
- A pilot test earlier this week reached 500 people. Only 138 verified themselves, while the rest did not complete the process.
- If you do not complete the verification, you will not receive your benefits.
- CDLE said it sent links to 2,000 people on January 22, so keep an eye on your mailbox or spam.
- The ID verification will increase rapidly to reach out to everyone with fraud.
→ Speaking of fraud, if your ID is fraudulently used to file for unemployment, then fill out THIS FORM to let the state know. Fill out THIS FORM if you received a 1099 tax form for benefits you should not have. CDLE said it now plans to confirm receipt of the submitted reports. CDLE is also sending out 1099 corrected forms to victims from February.
Step up and get your PPP
Two weeks into the revamped Paycheck Protection Program and there is still money left.
Last spring when banks first started for these forgivable loans, the program ran out of money in less than two weeks.
This is because Congress has put real small businesses first this time around, and only smaller lenders and community credit providers specializing in underserved communities participate in the first week. About 60,000 small businesses have requested about $ 5 billion, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration, which oversees the program.
That averages $ 83,333.33 per loan.
Assistance data are not yet available, but the Colorado Enterprise Fund, a local credit provider, said the volume in the first seven days was 90% of what the organization processed into PPPs last year.
“To say there is interest / demand is an understatement,” Nim Patel, chief strategic officer of the nonprofit Colorado Enterprise Fund, said in an email. “Many view the (second PPP loan) as the lifeline they will bring through the Colorado winter and into the spring and summer, when extracurricular activities will bring a much-needed blow to their business.”
Expect the numbers to increase as larger lenders were allowed to accept loans on Tuesday.
If you need a PPP loan, talk to your bank or a community development financial institution, such as the Colorado Enterprise Fund. They work with small businesses that may not qualify for traditional loans. The application deadline is March 31 or until the $ 284 billion is lent.
Do you have a question about the salary program for salary? Ask it and I will try to answer it in a future column.
Did you apply for one of the 76 796 jobs?
In its press update, the Department of Labor shared the most common jobs in ConnectingColorado.com each week, a database of jobs somewhat researched by local job centers.
On Friday, there were 76,796 jobs available.
The best positions this week were for truck drivers, registered nurses and customer service representatives.
Now 76,000 jobs sound like a lot of work, especially since the number of people still unemployed on January 2 was 308,015.
There seems to be a big disconnect here.
Help my people: Have you tried to apply for one of these positions? Did anyone receive a response, interview or … job offer? Let me know what your experience was with ConnectingColorado.
And employers who hire, what do you see? Hundreds of applicants? A good choice? I would like to conduct an interview with employers who find good candidates or get none. Send me an email to [email protected]
It’s amazing how much information there is each week to appear in this column. I think it means What work is for an indefinite time. Thank you for reading this week, and if you do not find it in your Saturday inbox, you can sign up for the newsletter here. Send me your questions and complaints and remember, I’m an explainer, not someone who can solve your problem. But if I can, I will. See you next week! ~ tamara
