PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — As government officials once again tighten coronavirus restrictions amid the second wave of COVID-19, unemployment numbers are spiking too.
If you find yourself unemployed — for a second time — you have options.
If you opened a claim within the last year, officials within Pennsylvania and New Jersey’s departments of labor say you should go ahead and reactivate it, even if you have run out of available weeks.
The federal government is still offering Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC), which is giving out aid for another 13 weeks.
“Once they use up their regular unemployment funds, they can then move on to a PEUC claim,” said Susan Dickinson, spokesperson with the Pennsylvania Labor Department. “Dec. 26 is the last week that PEUC benefits are available.”
The governors of both Pennsylvania and New Jersey have been pushing for an extension of the CARES Act or some sort of relief as COVID-19 cases continue to rise at an alarming rate. Lawmakers head back to Washington, D.C. after the Thanksgiving break.
“Once that program ends,” Dickinson continued, “the state Extended Benefits program is still in effect right now, as long as the unemployment rate is still a little high.”
There are also food assistance, energy and medical assistance programs through the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services.