It’s a deal. More unemployment payments, stimulus checks could be headed to Washington soon
Millions of Washington residents would get quick financial help — stimulus checks, more unemployment benefits and other aid — under the economic relief agreement announced Sunday by congressional leaders.
The deal, which still needs approval from Congress and President Donald Trump, would assure about 100,000 state residents they would not lose unemployment benefits that are set to expire at the end of next week. A final vote is expected Monday.
Under the plan, weekly benefits for qualified unemployment claimants, now a maximum $844 in Washington, would go up by $300 for 11 weeks.
The state Employment Security Department, which manages the programs, is evaluating the proposals as they are disclosed. A $300 boost would be similar to the extra $600 a week available from late March to late July, and is considered easier to implement.
The new law would also mean millions of people in the state would be sent stimulus checks, or see deposits in their accounts, of $600 per taxpayer and dependent child.
The stimulus payments would follow the same income guidelines as they did for the checks this spring. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnunchin Monday told CNBC the first payments could begin as soon as next week.
Tax filers with adjusted gross income last year up to $75,000 for individuals and up to $150,000 for married couples filing joint returns were eligible for a full payment this spring. People above those amounts had payments reduced on a sliding scale. Single people earning more than $99,000 and joint filers making above $198,000 were not eligible. Further details on the new benefit are expected early this week.
People who may need help paying rent next month could also see help, and a federal eviction moratorium due to expire at the end of the year would be extended.
Chances are good that Congress will take up even more relief in January. President-elect Joe Biden, who takes office Jan. 20, and his allies have said the current bill is a down payment on a broader package.
“We’re going to try to build on it as soon as Joe Biden is sworn in.,” said Sen. Edward Markey, D-Mass. “We know it’s not enough.”
The bill does leave out some items important to Washington. The economic relief plan passed this spring provided ailing state and local governments. There’s no such sweeping state and local aid this time, though some money for vaccine distribution, schools and transportation is likely.
There is, however, $27 billion nationwide for aid to highways and transit systems and $22 billion to state, local and tribal governments for health-related expenses.
But in other areas, the new law would be an economic shot in the arm for Washington. While its unemployment rate in November was 6%, lower than the national average, it remained higher than a year ago.
The Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program has been scheduled to expire at the end of this month, though Gov. Jay Inslee said the state would continue to provide a benefit. He did not say how long that extension would go or the amount of the weekly payment.
“Washington will be able to fill some of the funding gap for residents that aren’t eligible for regular UI, such as self-employed workers, freelancers and independent contractors,” a statement from Inslee’s office said. PUA was created by Congress this spring to provide jobless relief to people who traditionally have not qualified for unemployment benefits, such as independent contractors.
Pandemic Employment Unemployment Assistance, a federally funded program that provides up to 13 weeks of benefits to people whose regular benefits have expired, was also due to end at the end of this month.
Under current law, qualified claimants would still be able to get extended state benefits, though they may not get as many weeks as they could have under the PEUC program.
The stimulus checks would have a much broader reach. By the end of August, about 3.6 million Washington taxpayers received payments.
It’s unclear whether the same methods of distributing the money will be used. In the last round, if the Internal Revenue Service had someone’s direct deposit information, they did not need to do anything.
The other major benefit that could be coming Washington’s way is help with the rent.
Of Washington’s 1.59 million households paying rent, 181,466 said in late November and early December said they were not caught up on rent payments, according to a U.S. Census Bureau survey..
Nor were they optimistic times would improve. The census survey found 147,856 households had no confidence they could afford to pay next month’s rent, while 200,347 had only slight
The threat of eviction “is a moving target that just gets bigger,” said Zach Neumann, senior project manager for the Future of Work Initiative at the nonpartisan Aspen Institute, which studies rental policy.
This story was originally published December 20, 2020 at 3:38 PM with the headline "It’s a deal. More unemployment payments, stimulus checks could be headed to Washington soon."
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