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Pandemic unemployment benefits set to expire after Christmas

Claimants are encouraged to continue filings certifications in the event Congress approves new legislation.

(STOCK PHOTO)

Those receiving some unemployment benefits in Alabama could likely see those benefits end on Dec. 26, and possibly even earlier. 

“All unemployment compensation programs created by the CARES Act are currently scheduled to expire on December 26, 2020, without further Congressional action,” the Alabama Department of Labor said in a press release Thursday. 

The Alabama Department of Labor encourages claimants to continue to file their weekly certifications so that in the event Congress approves new legislation or extends current legislation, they can be considered for any benefits to which they may be entitled.

Impacted programs in Alabama are the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) or Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) programs.

PUA provides benefits to those who would not normally qualify for regular unemployment compensation, such as the self-employed, gig workers, part-time workers, and PUA provides benefits to those who exhausted all other unemployment programs but remain unemployed due to COVID-19.

PEUC provides an additional 13-week extension to regular unemployment compensation recipients.

“Some claimants may see their benefits end prior to the December 26 expiration date due to exhausting all programs,” according to the release. “When the programs expire on December 26, 2020, all payments under PUA and PEUC will stop, regardless of an existing dollar balance or remaining eligible weeks.”

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Eddie Burkhalter is a reporter at the Alabama Political Reporter. You can email him at [email protected] or reach him via Twitter.

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