As a reminder, on September 5, 2021, several Federal unemployment benefit programs will be expiring across the country, per Federal law. This email includes important information on what this means for New Yorkers who are currently receiving pandemic unemployment benefits, as well as reapplication guidelines, resources for getting back to work, and continued assistance available through New York State. You can also share this information with your constituents by pointing them to the DOL website: dol.ny.gov/fedexp
The Federal benefit programs that will be expiring are:
- Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA)
- Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC)
- Extended Benefits (EB)
- $300 Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) supplement
- $100 Mixed Earner Unemployment Compensation (MEUC) supplement
PUA, PEUC, and the FPUC and MEUC supplements were put in place by Congress to address the COVID emergency. Congress set an end date of September 5 for these programs. In addition to these programs ending on September 5, the additional $300 weekly supplement available through FPUC and the $100 weekly supplement available to some claimants through MEUC will also end.
The Federal benefits program EB ends for all states on September 5, along with the other programs listed above. The Federal government ties the EB program to a state’s unemployment rate and because New York State has recently fallen below the rate established by the Federal government in order for the state to qualify for the highest level of EB, the program is only available for a maximum of 13 weeks as of August 9, 2021.
Claimants who have received 13+ weeks of EB will no longer be eligible for EB on their existing claim after the benefit week of August 9, but may be eligible for PEUC or PUA benefits through September 5 and should keep certifying while unemployed.
The United States Department of Labor (USDOL) has recently asked states to accept new PUA claims for period of 30-days after September 5. NYS DOL will accept those claims, evaluate for eligibility, and backdate where appropriate as required by USDOL. PUA claims accepted during this 30-day period will only be for periods of unemployment beginning December 7, 2020 and ending September 5, 2021.
Claimants will be contacted through emails and text messages to inform them of which program they are currently in and whether they will be eligible to continue receiving benefits after the Federal benefit expiration date.
Reapplying for Unemployment Assistance at Benefit Year End (BYE)
Claimants may reapply for UI benefits when they reach the end of their current benefit year. To be eligible for a new UI claim, claimants must have worked and earned enough wages in covered employment (employment where a W-2 should be issued) during the past five quarters. Claimants who received no wages from covered employment during the past five quarters, including many PUA recipients, will not be eligible for a new UI claim. New Yorkers can use the benefit rate calculator to estimate their weekly UI rate based on earnings. This figure is an estimate.
Job Search Resources
As a reminder, NYS DOL has several free resources and partnerships available to assist New Yorkers in their job search:
- Career Services: NYS DOL’s online resources include resume writing tools, interview tips, job postings, and specialized services. Stay tuned for more information about our Virtual Career Center.
- JobZone: NYS DOL currently has more than 180,000 jobs posted from all regions of the state, and across all industries on JobZone. New Yorkers can utilize job search resources and tools, while searching for jobs.
- Coursera: Unemployed New Yorkers can take thousands of free, online programs and certificate courses through NYS DOL’s partnership with Coursera.
- SUNY For All: Free skill-building, college prep, and employment certification programs with one-on-one career coaching to help New Yorkers train up.
- Career Fairs & Workshops: NYS DOL continues to hold no-cost virtual workshops and job fairs.
Other Available Assistance
New York’s myBenefits resource highlights available assistance provided by other state programs and services, including food programs, temporary assistance, health insurance programs, and more. New Yorkers can access these services at mybenefits.ny.gov.
New Yorkers who owe back rent or utilities arrears may quality for emergency rental assistance through the ERAP program. More information can be found at otda.ny.gov/erap.
Additional Resources
For additional information and resources, please click to access our:
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