Dear Constituent,
You or a family member may currently be unemployed, so I know how critical unemployment benefits are at this time. I am writing now to update you on the recent federal action that could enhance the amount of unemployment benefit you receive. Additionally, I've provided information below on a new law the governor recently signed that provides protections against evictions to help with the economic stresses resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Our state Employment Development Department (EDD) just launched the new, $300-a-week Lost Wages Assistance Program. This federally funded program will provide $300 a week in supplemental unemployment benefits to those who lost a job or had their hours cut due to the pandemic. The $300 weekly benefits are retroactive to July 26, 2020, but will currently only provide the additional $300 a week for three weeks in total.
If you were previously receiving the $600-a-week additional unemployment benefits that stopped at the end of July, you are eligible for this new $300-a-week payment. Most unemployment recipients who had been receiving the $600 extra a week will now receive a one-time payment of $900, the total benefit amount that has so far been approved though the federal Lost Wages Assistance program.
If you are newly unemployed or did not qualify for the previous $600 a week benefits, to be eligible for this new $300 a week, you must:
- Provide EDD with a one-time certification indicating that you are unemployed or partially unemployed due to COVID-19
- Have a weekly benefit award of $100 or more
The new payments will be added to your regular unemployment amount for the eligible weeks, which, as of now, only covers three weeks. Go here for more information.
Last week, Gov. Newsom signed AB 3088, a new law passed by the Legislature that prohibits pandemic-related evictions in California until Feb. 1, 2021. Under this new law, tenants must provide a hardship declaration due to the pandemic to qualify for the program and must pay at least 25% of their monthly rent payments from Sept. 1 through Jan. 31, 2021 to avoid eviction.
In addition, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), issued a nationwide eviction moratorium on Sept. 4. The CDC moratorium bars evictions in the U.S. through Dec. 31, 2020 for failure to pay rent due to the pandemic. To qualify for this program, tenants must also provide a hardship declaration, stating that they can't pay all or some of their rent due to the pandemic.
Locally, many cities in our region continue to have eviction and rent freezes in place that provide additional protections above current state law or the federal ban. Alameda County's eviction moratorium is effective through Dec. 31, 2020 or until after the local health emergency is lifted, whichever is later. Contra Costa County's eviction moratorium lasts until Sept. 30, 2020. If the board of supervisors does not extend it, then Contra Costa County tenants impacted by the pandemic would qualify for the state and federal eviction bans.
I hope you find this information helpful. It's an honor serving you in the state Senate.
Sincerely,
Nancy Skinner
Senator, 9th District
|