| It seems we are not the only ones concerned about this. |
...the twenty first century equivalent of bubonic plague, only instead of killing off a third of the population of Europe it kills 3.4 percent of those who notice they have it. It seems to be fond of the elderly, especially Iranian politicians and holy men...are no longer considered eligible to receive federal unemployment benefits.
Mnuchin said that companies receiving benefits under the Payroll Protection Program who are inviting employees who had been laid off or furloughed due to the coronavirus crisis to return to work should plan to notify state unemployment offices of their offers.
If the employee, in turn, turns down the job, they would then be considered ineligible to receive expanded unemployment benefits.
"If you offer a person a job..and that person does not take the job..then that person would not be allowed to get unemployment," Mnuchin said Tuesday.
Mnuchin’s comments come as Republican politicians have ramped up warnings that the recent boost in jobless benefits amid COVID-19 will "push unemployment higher," as many individuals are able to collect more money through the unemployment programs than they made while on the job.
Under the "Phase 3" economic stimulus package passed in March, also known as the CARES Act, Congress provided $250 billion to extend unemployment insurance to more workers, and lengthen the duration to 39 weeks, up from the normal 26 weeks. The provision allowed for an extra $600 to be provided a week for four months to those losing their jobs amid the crisis.
The Wall Street Journal reported last month that about half of U.S. workers can earn more with these jobless benefits than they did while working -- a factor that could hurt efforts by some businesses to reopen.
The CARES Act included a new "Pandemic Unemployment Assistance" program, which extends unemployment benefits to self-employed, independent contractors, those with limited work history, and other individuals not traditionally eligible for unemployment benefits who are unable to work as a direct result of COVID-19.
The stimulus package also provided an additional 13 weeks of unemployment compensation to individuals who have exhausted their regular unemployment benefits, as well as a supplemental payment of $600 per week for up to four months.
The average state already gives out $463 per week in unemployment benefits. When combined with the new $600 per week, the average unemployed individual can collect $1,063 per week—the equivalent of more than $26 an hour, or $55,000 per year.
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Steven Mnuchin: 2020-05-15 As coronavirus rolls on, Republicans hit 'pause' on new aid
Steven Mnuchin: 2020-05-02 US sanctions Iranian and Iraqi national over support of Iran's Quds Force
Steven Mnuchin: 2020-04-29 Schumer Demands Oversight Hearings for Trump's ‘Abject Failure' Implementing Coronavirus Relief