By John L. Micek | Pennsylvania Capital-Star
A trio of federal programs that served as a lifeline for the jobless during the pandemic are set to coming to an end. And as they wind down, there are still plenty of places that Pennsylvanians in need can turn to for help, state officials said Monday.
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The programs: Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC), Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA), and the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) are all set to end on Sept. 6. And while some people may qualify for extended benefits, according to CNBC, all will lose the extra $300 per-week in benefits that were paid out in addition to state-level benefits.
“Many families, through no fault of their own, have seen their incomes decreased or lost entirely due to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent economic downturn,” Pennsylvania Department of Human Services Deputy Secretary Inez Titus said in a statement her agency released Monday.
“While the federal unemployment programs may be ending, anyone who is still struggling to make ends meet or needs assistance should know that help is available,” Titus continued.
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Pennsylvanians can take advantage of a number of programs offered through the human services department. They include:
- Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP);
- Medicaid;
- Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP);
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP);
- Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF); and,
- Child Care Works (CCW) subsidized child care.
Titus said her agency is “here to help people pay their bills and stabilize their housing situation as we work to emerge from this unprecedented crisis.” And that “there is no shame in asking for help when we need it.”
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Applications for rental assistance, Medicaid, SNAP and other programs can be submitted online via www.compass.state.pa.us. Telephone applications for SNAP and Medical Assistance (as Medicaid is known Pennsylvania) can be submitted by calling 1-866-550-4355.
In addition, “on-site County Assistance Office (CAO) services are now available if clients cannot access online services or need assistance that cannot be accessed through the COMPASS website, the myCOMPASS PA mobile app, or by calling the Customer Service Centers at 215-560-7226 for Philadelphia clients or 1-877-395-8930 for clients in all other counties,” officials said in a statement.
People who need health insurance, but who do not qualify for Medicaid, can explore their coverage options though the state’s health insurance exchange, officials said.
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The state’s regular unemployment compensation (UC) program is not affected by the end of the federal program, but “claimants should be aware that their weekly payments will be reduced by up to $300 due to the end of the FPUC program, and the number of weeks of eligibility for UC will be limited to 26 after the end of the federal PEUC extension program,” officials said.
In addition, “weeks of unemployment after Sept. 4, 2021, are not eligible for payments under these programs. Individuals who continue to be unemployed after Sept. 4 and are not eligible for payments under UC will no longer receive unemployment benefit payments. These individuals are encouraged to review the list of resources here,” officials said.
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Additional resources for job-hunters can be found here.
“We have been partnering with the Department of Human Services and other organizations to build a library of resources that includes food, housing, and utility support,” Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry Secretary Jennifer Berrier said in a statement.
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“We’ve been working to get this list into the hands of the individuals who will no longer be eligible to receive unemployment benefits next week when the special pandemic provisions through the federal government come to an end,” Berrier added.
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