Alabama Adds Requirement For Unemployment Insurance Elligibility
Alabama Governor Kay Ivey signed Senate Bill 224 on April 12, requiring unemployment insurance claimants to contact at least three prospective employers each week during their benefits period to remain eligible for payments. The bill defined a contact as an application or other genuine solicitation for an open job and required the Alabama Department of Labor to audit about 5% of the contacts to ensure compliance with regulations under the law. SB 224 was scheduled to take effect January 2023.
New Stimulus Package: Unemployment Benefits $300 Per Week Extended Until September
- Lisa Rowan Forbes Advisor
The stimulus package signedinto law on Thursdayby President Joe Biden extends unemployment benefits for millions of American workers who are still dealing with the economic fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Unemployment benefits turned out to be one of the most hotly debated parts of the$1.9 trillion aid package, with legislators at odds over how long to extend benefits and for how much.
Some details of implementing the employment-related measures from the stimulus package have yet to be revealed, as they require guidance from the IRS or other government agencies that hasnt been finalized.
Heres what we know about extended pandemic unemployment benefits and when you can expect them.
Is What I See In The Calculator The Exact Amount Ill Receive
No. This calculator shows the average weekly unemployment payment in your state, plus the boost provided by the American Rescue Plan Act. You may qualify for more or less than that amount. Refer to your states unemployment website to learn more about whether you qualify and how much you might receive. This calculator should be used as an estimation tool only.
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Alabama To End Use Of All Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation Programs
MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Alabama Gov. Kay Iveys office is moving to end the states participation in all federally funded pandemic unemployment compensation programs, citing businesses that are struggling to find employees to fill a number of available positions.
Alabama is giving the federal government our 30-day notice that its time to get back to work, Ivey said, explaining that among other factors, increased unemployment assistance, which was meant to be a short-term relief program during emergency related shutdowns, is now contributing to a labor shortage that is compromising the continuation of our economic recovery.
Alabama will pull out of multiple programs as of June 19, but will continue to allow those eligible under any of the following federal programs to continue being paid until that time:
- Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation , which provides for an additional $300 weekly payment to recipients of unemployment compensation.
- Pandemic Unemployment Assistance , which provides benefits for those who would not usually qualify, such as the self-employed, gig workers, and part-time workers,
- Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation , which provides for an extension of benefits once regular benefits have been exhausted, and
- Mixed Earner Unemployment Compensation , which provides an additional $100 benefit to certain people with mixed earnings.
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Coronavirus Aid Relief And Economic Security Act
The U.S. House of Representatives on March 27, 2020, passed the Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security Act to provide financial relief to individuals and businesses impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. President Donald Trump signed the legislation on March 27. Among the provisions in the act, Congress earmarked roughly $260 billion to expand unemployment insurance benefits across the country. The act supplemented state unemployment insurance payments by increasing the number of weeks an individual could receive benefits and by providing individuals with an additional $600 per week on top of what they would normally receive.
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Alabama To Withdraw From Federal Pandemic Unemployment Programs
Gov. Kay Ivey will end Alabama’s participation in federal unemployment programs geared to the pandemic, including supplements to state unemployment benefits and a suspension of a work search requirement.
The state will withdraw from the program on June 19, the governor’s office said in a statement on Monday. Applications for the pandemic-related benefits will be processed until then.
We have announced the end date of our state of emergency, there are no industry shutdowns, and daycares are operating with no restrictions,” Ivey said in a statement. “Vaccinations are available for all adults. Alabama is giving the federal government our 30-day notice that its time to get back to work.
More:Will there be another stimulus check? What we know about the potential of a fourth payment
The decision means the state will withdraw from programs that provided an additional $300 weekly payment in unemployment programs that extended unemployment benefits to self-employed, gig workers and part-time workers extended benefits for those who exhausted regular benefits and provided an additional $100 benefit to people with mixed earnings.
Economists and staffing officials say that individuals caring for family members with illness or supervising children learning from home may be contributing.
How Much Will I Receive In Weekly Benefits
You can calculate your potential benefits online. Your weekly benefit amount and the number of weeks of entitlement are based on the wages you were paid and the amount of time you worked during your base period. The weekly benefit amount is calculated by dividing the sum of the wages earned during the highest quarter of the base period by 26, rounded down to the next lower whole dollar. The result cannot exceed the utmost weekly benefit permitted by the rule. This is a state-specific parameter and is dependent on the states budget and unemployment rate.The base period is the term used to describe the time frame used as the basis for deciding whether or not you will be monetarily eligible for unemployment.
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Alabama Unemployment Tax Rate Notices
Whats happening?
The Alabama Department of Revenue has started releasing 2022 Tax Rate Notices. Alabama no longer mails paper copies of these notices, so employers
who are subject to Alabama unemployment should log into their Alabama Department of Labor eGov account to access their 2022 rate notice. Please be advised that you should check your rate. Rates changed drastically for many businesses in 2021 due to the increase in COVID-19 related unemployment claims, and its possible COVID-19 related claims continued to impact calculations for the 2022 unemployment tax rates.
I have my rate notice, what do I do now?
If your AL unemployment tax rate has changed from 2021 or is not up to date in your payroll processing software, now is the time to get it updated with your 2022 tax rate. If you use a third-party payroll processor, reach out to your third-party payroll representative for assistance in updating your rate in their software.
What if Im a new employer and there is no rate notice?
In the state of Alabama, employers newly liable under the Alabama UC law are automatically assigned an unemployment rate of 2.7%, after which, they are assigned an experience rating and an individualized unemployment tax rate.
Where can I go if I have more Alabama unemployment tax questions?
Visit the AL Department of Labors FAQ page here or reach out to your BMSS professional with any additional questions.
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Pandemic Unemployment Benefits Expired On Labor Day Could They Be Renewed
Millions of Americans lost jobless benefits this month. Some lawmakers are proposing that aid be reinstated in an upcoming spending package. Heres the latest.
The September termination of unemployment benefits was considered the largest in US history.
After the pandemic-related expansion of unemployment insurance ended on Sept. 6, roughly 7.5 million people lost their benefits entirely, with millions more losing the $300 weekly bonus checks. The temporary federal benefits which included coverage for those normally ineligible for jobless aid, like gig workers and the long-term unemployed were in place since spring 2020 to help those who lost income from COVID-19 restrictions or layoffs.
This week, a group of Democratic lawmakers, led by Reps. Cori Bush and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, called to reform the unemployment system in the coming $3.5 trillion House spending plan. In a , they noted that the country now denies life-saving resources to over two-thirds of those without jobs, as aid now covers less than half of lost wages. They also noted that 90% of unemployed workers and especially Black and Brown communities have been left with no benefits at all.
With the uptick in delta-variant cases, the COVID era hasnt come to a close. Could the White House renew those extra benefits? What can people do who need unemployment coverage to make ends meet? Well explain below. This story has been recently updated.
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How To Appeal A Denial Of Unemployment Benefits In Arizona
If your unemployment claim is denied, you have 15 days to appeal the decision online, by telephone, or in writing. A hearing will be held on your appeal, at which you may testify, present witnesses, and offer evidence before an administrative law judge . You may have a lawyer represent you at the hearing, although its not required.
The ALJ will issue a written decision in your case. If you arent satisfied with that decision, you may file an appeal with the Appeals Board within 30 days. And if you disagree with the Appeals Board decision, you may seek review in state court within 30 days.
The DES website has full information about filing an appeal.
Cutting Off Benefits Is Economically Short
The governors who have withdrawn from the programs are complaining that federal benefits are holding back their recovery because certain employers cannot find the workers they need. However, this claim ignores the fact that the money from federal benefits flows into local businesses through consumer spending, generating another $1.61 in economic activity for every dollar spent. Any benefits that the states businesses might receive from some of these workers, in terms of faster ability to hire them in the short term, would be overwhelmed by the loss of unemployment debit card swipes hitting the cash registers of those same businesses.
On a national level, there are still only 8 million job openings as compared to 16 million jobless workers, and the U.S. economy is still short over 8 million jobs from before the pandemic. With jobs depressed, pandemic benefits have contributed to a fast start for gross domestic product in the first quarter of 2021 .
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Are You Available And Actively Searching For Work
To keep collecting unemployment benefits, you must be able to work, available to work, and looking for employment. If you’re offered a suitable position, you must accept it.
Whether a position is suitable depends on a number of factors, including the skill and training required, how much the job pays, how similar the job is to your former employment, and how far you will have to commute to work if you take the job. However, as time goes on, you will be expected to modify your standards and consider accepting work that is different or that pays less than what you were receiving.
You must engage in a good faith search for work. You must keep records of the employers you contact, the dates you made contact, and the outcome. The Department of Labor may ask you to provide contact information for employers you’ve contacted at any point during your claim.
How To File An Initial Claim In Your State
- If you have been separated from work, you can file your initial claim during your first week of total or partial unemployment.
- Your Social Security Number
- You can file your first claim in two ways: by calling the TeleClaim Center or visiting a One-Stop Career Center close to you. It might not be possible to file an initial claim online in some states.
- If you have received severance pay upon your separation from work, you may still be eligible for unemployment benefits. So it is still important to call and file your initial claim during your first week of total or partial unemployment.
- If eligible for unemployment benefits, you can expect to receive your first payment within 3-4 weeks if there are no issues with your claim.
- In general, it takes approximately 3 weeks to process a claim however, you will still need to claim benefits every week.
The information you need before filing a claim:
If You Are Not a United States Citizen
You must give a verification that you were legally eligible to work in your state and that you are presently eligible to begin a new job.
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Alabama Minimum Wage & Labor Law Posters
The Fair Labor Standards Act and Alabama labor law requires all employers in Alabama to visibly display an approved Alabama minimum wage poster, and other Alabama and federal labor law posters, to ensure that all employees are aware of federal and Alabama labor law and overtime regulations. Failure to display a Alabama labor law poster in the workplace can result in severe fines.
The Alabama minimum wage poster, and additional required Alabama labor law posters, are also available on the Alabama labor law posters download page.
Alabama Minimum Wage Exemptions
In addition to any Alabama-specific minimum wage exemptions described above, the Federal Fair Labor Standards act defines special minimum wage rates applicable to certain types of workers. You may be paid under the Alabama minimum wage if you fit into one of the following categories:
- Alabama Under 20 Minimum Wage – $4.25 – Federal law allows any employer in Alabama to pay a new employee who is under 20 years of age a training wage of $4.25 per hour for the first 90 days of employment.
- Alabama Student Minimum Wage – $6.16 – Full-time high school or college students who work part-time may be paid 85% of the Alabama minimum wage for up to 20 hours of work per week at certain employers .
- Alabama Tipped Minimum Wage – See Here – Employees who earn a certain amount of tips every month may be paid a lower cash minimum wage, but must earn at least $7.25 including tips every hour. For more details, read about the Alabama tipped minimum wage.
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We Must Continue To Support Our Workers
Aid to the unemployed has been the linchpin of the nations response to the economic damage of the pandemic. American workers deserve support until the economy has turned the corner and public health and child care conditions have fully turned around. The decisions these states have taken are deeply misguided, and no other states should follow suit.
Notes
The Biden Administration Has Offered A Productive Alternative Approachor Search And Reemployment Services
On May 10, President Biden outlined an alternative approach to help more unemployed workers connect with available job openings. The president directed the U.S. Department of Labor to work with states to reinstate standard unemployment insurance requirements related to searching for a new job, and accepting a suitable job offer.
Despite what opponents to pandemic benefits have said, jobless workers cant simply sit at home and collect benefits. While most states modified the typical federally mandated requirement to search for a job during the worst parts of the pandemic, the majority of states have reinstated rules that require recipients to be actively applying for new jobs. Given the progress of vaccine rollouts, it is legitimate progress to reinstate work search requirements with notable exceptions mentioned by the administration, like preserving benefits for those who do not have access to child care. This is an action that has been taken by Democratic governors, like Janet Mills of Maine, even before President Bidens speech.
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Adol Begins Processing Additional $300 Weekly Benefits
ADOL will begin processing American Rescue Plan extensions, including the additional $300 weekly payment.
The Alabama Department of Labor will begin processing payments for the American Rescue Plan extensions, including the additional $300 weekly Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation payment.
Claimants who are eligible for these payments will need to take no action other than continuing to file their weekly certifications. ADOL completed programming for these changes on Thursday, March 18, and claimants should expect to see payments as soon as next week, depending on their banks policies.
As with previous extensions of pandemic related unemployment benefits, Alabama has been able to respond quickly with little to no delay in payments to those who need them, said Alabama Department of Labor Secretary Fitzgerald Washington. Modernizing our system in early January 2020 has certainly helped us to be able to achieve these goals. Alabama had the extensions implemented within three days of receiving guidance from USDOL.
Claimants receiving at least $1 of benefits under any program except the Alabama 5-Week Training Program are eligible for the $300 additional weekly payment. The extensions and additional payment are being added to eligible weeks beginning with the week-ending March 20. Details on the extensions included in the legislation are below.
Alabamans To Lose Pandemic Unemployment Benefits Early Including $300 Weekly Benefit
Following strong job reports and state wide labor shortages that risk the ongoing economic recovery, Governor Kay Ivey announced that Alabama will end its participation in ALL federally funded pandemic unemployment programs effective the week ending June 19, 2021.
This covers the PUA, PEUC, $300 FPUC and $100 MEUC programs extended under the Biden ARPA stimulus bill discussed below. This action follows actions by several other states that are also ending federally funded pandemic unemployment programs early in order to incentivize workers to return to work. Opponents to this moved had argued that the reason people were not going back to work is due to fears around getting COVID and/or child care constraints.
I will post additional updates but if you see your benefits stopping after June 19th then this will likely be the reason why. Unemployed workers who cannot get a job will then need to rely on traditional state unemployment benefits going forward. PUA claimants in particular are expected to be hard hit by this early end to unemployment benefits .
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