The new stimulus bill that was signed on Friday, March 27, 2020, known as the CARES Act is a massive and far ranging $2+ TRILLION bill, so it is probably best for us to break it down by sections or likely impacted group.  This Act may be cited as the “Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act.”  This post will cover relevant unemployment benefit changes.

The bill broadly expands the scope of federal unemployment benefits. The bill expands the categories of people who qualify for unemployment insurance to self-employed individuals, independent contractors, and “gig economy” workers, such as workers for ride-hailing apps. The federal unemployment benefits will be $600 per week under the bill, in addition to the funds paid by state programs (in Alabama, that’s up to $275 per week – See the related Alabama’s state level unemployment update). The increase will still apply to workers whose gross income would be increased under unemployment, and extends them for up to 39 weeks through the end of the year.

Other Related CARES Act Blog Posts: