PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — While Philadelphians rendered jobless by the pandemic wait for the second wave of benefits to kick in, there are some steps workers may need to take to get unemployment assistance.
Pandemic-related unemployment benefits will lag, because CARES Act money ended this week, and states are awaiting guidance from the federal government on additional relief.
“If you are regular on unemployment, continue filing as normal, but there is going to be delay before payments under any federal programs start to come through,” explained attorney Julia Simon-Mishel, supervising attorney of the Unemployment Compensation Unit for Philadelphia Legal Assistance.
Do not file a new claim, she said.
“Right now, the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance portal does not let anyone file weekly certifications because the system still thinks the program is over,” she added.
This includes the federal extension.
“If you have been switched over to extended benefits, which is the state’s extension, you are going to keep filing on extended benefits,” Simon-Mishel said.
As for the extra weekly $300 in the new bill, it will be added the same way the extra $600 was added before, and anyone on unemployment assistance gets the additional cash.
Simon-Mishel and other members of Philadelphia Legal Assistance will be holding a Facebook Live event on Tuesday to go over details about the new relief bill.