Imagine one day waking up and getting an email that you have just been laid off or sent on unpaid leave. Quite devastating, right!
Well, believe it or not, this has been a common occurrence these past months ever since the Coronavirus pandemic hit the world. Every economy, including the Californian job market, has taken a hit and a severe one indeed.
With that said, there has been a surge of unemployment claims in California as people are looking for ways to survive. Job security is not a thing of certainty now; hence people are taking to employment law firms in Los Angeles to get their rightful claims sorted after the recent drop.
But that is about to change as there are millions of unemployment claims currently being processed since the pandemic and a 13-week benefit extension is to be launched in phases, says the California Employment Development Department.
So let’s take a look at the phases one by one.
Phase One
This stage is called the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation, which aims to benefit Californians who have been laid off during the current Coronavirus pandemic. This phase is already underway, and the board is reviewing regular unemployment claims filed on or after June 2nd, 2019. These are the people that have exhausted their benefits already.
Phase Two
This phase will be run in early July for the group of people who ran out of benefits after July 2018 and before June 2nd, 2019. This group consists of the ones that were already in the system before the pandemic hit hard.
How Does The Extension Benefit People Of California
Typically, anyone eligible to get this benefit stands to benefit a weekly check that could be in the range of $40 to $450. Under the current Covid-19 situation, you could get an extra of up to $600 weekly treatment.
Considering how the unemployment claims in California are on the rise, this benefit will cushion the blow on thousands of households in the state. These are trying times that are pushing people to the limits. The residents under this program are grateful, and many hope to get the benefits via mail soon.
But then again, let us take a step back and see what you need to qualify to become eligible for the claim.
Eligibility requirements
This benefit covers individuals who have lost their jobs either entirely or partially and have seen a significant decrease in salary. So if you are in this group, you can file for a claim and have the following in check.
- You have earned enough wages during the base period. The base period is 12 months or four quarters that the EDD uses to do their calculations. If you make enough in this set period, you qualify.
- You must have lost your job at no fault, meaning if you were the cause of your sacking was due to misconduct, you fail.
- You must physically be able to work
- You must be available for work
- You must be ready and willing to accept work immediately.
- And lastly, you must be actively looking for a job and have proof of this.
After you have all those bases covered, the EDD gauges your weekly stipend, which is sent to you as a cheque via mail.
How Is The Extension Beneficial?
Within the 13-week extension, those whose claims were denied before can reapply, and their applications will be reviewed again. Although to avoid a repeat, those who were denied the first time should seek legal counsel from a lawyer who is conversant with unemployment claims in California.
The applicants should be watchful and keen to look out for their insurance cover notice that will be sent by mail, five to seven days after the claim was filed.
With these arrangements in play, there is hope that millions of California residents without jobs will get what they need to survive this pandemic.
Alton Clarke was born and raised in Syracuse. He has written for MSNBC, The Business Insider and Passport Magazine. In regards to academics, Alton earned a degree from St. John’s University. Alton covers entertainment and culture stories here at Diving daily.