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COVID-19 is a healthcare crisis, but the ripple effects have caused economic uncertainty for many West Virginians. The CARES Act includes a dramatic expansion and reform of the existing unemployment insurance program. We’ve strengthened unemployment benefits and ensured that laid-off workers, on average, will receive their full pay for four months.
Expanded Unemployment Insurance
We must take care of those who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own. The CARES Act expands unemployment eligibility to include part-time, self-employed, and gig economy workers; it provides an additional 13 weeks of unemployment benefits; and it increases individual benefits by $600 per week to ensure that no one is penalized for practicing responsible social distancing.
Other increased benefits include:
-Extension of Benefits: Recipients will be allowed to remain on unemployment for an additional 13 weeks through December 31, 2020, expanding the total eligibility period for unemployment benefits from 26 weeks to 39 weeks.
-Waiver of One Week Waiting Period: The federal government and the State of West Virginia no longer require a one week waiting period for new beneficiaries, meaning that unemployed workers can receive benefits as soon as they become unemployed.
Eligibility
You are eligible if you are unemployed or unable to work because:
-Your place of work is closed as a direct result of COVID-19.
-You or a household member has been diagnosed with COVID-19 or you are experiencing symptoms of the virus and seeking a medical diagnosis.
-You are quarantined because you have been advised by a healthcare provider to self-quarantine due to concerns related to the virus.
-You are caring for a member of the household or a family member that has been diagnosed with the virus or unable to attend a school or facility that is closed and the facility is necessary for you to be able to work.
-You were scheduled to start work and the job no longer exists or you are unable to reach the job because of a quarantine at the workplace.
-You are self-employed, are seeking part-time employment, do not have sufficient work history or would not otherwise qualify for regular unemployment under the State or Federal law.
Note: Part-time, self-employed, independent contractors and gig economy workers will be eligible for unemployment.
You are NOT eligible for unemployment if:
-You have the ability to telework with pay.
-You are receiving paid leave benefits.
All unemployment received, including the additional $600 through July 31, will be taxable. The amount of unemployment received will be disregarded in determining Medicaid or CHIP eligibility.
To apply For Unemployment through WorkForce West Virginia, click here: https://uc.workforcewv.org/consumer/?lang=en
Questions about applying for unemployment in West Virginia can be directed to Workforce West Virginia by emailing Workforce.COVID19@wv.gov.
Direct Payments To West Virginians
To address unforeseen financial challenges not covered by expanded Unemployment Insurance benefits or modified Small Business Administration (SBA) loans, the bill authorizes direct payments of $1,200 for individuals and $2,400 for couples. Families are also eligible for an additional $500 per child. Working class Americans that file their taxes will receive a direct payment. Those who are on Social Security or otherwise do not file income taxes will receive their payment in the form of check.
An individual is eligible for the full benefit if they make less than $75,000 per year. Couples and other joint filers are eligible if their combined annual income is less than $150,000. Above that threshold, benefits will be reduced by $5 for every $100 of income and phased out entirely for those making $99,000 or more ($198,000 for couples).
Any individual making $99,000 or more per year will not receive any direct payment. Any couple or other joint filers making $198,000 or more per year will not receive any direct payment.
Individuals that receive form SSA-1099, which includes those that are receiving Old-Age, Survivor, and Disability (OASDI) benefits through Social Security, and individuals that receive form RRB-1099, which includes those that have worked in jobs covered by the Railroad Retirement Act, will be eligible for the stimulus check and will not be required to fill out any additional tax documents. Social Security recipients and railroad retirees who have dependents under the age of 17 can use a new IRS tool online to register to claim the additional $500 per dependent they are eligible to receive.
For all others who do not normally file their taxes, including seniors and some veterans who do not normally file tax returns, they are also eligible to receive a check; however, in order to receive the stimulus payment, an individual that falls into one of these categories will need to file a simple tax return for 2019.
Non-Taxfilers
To help millions of people, the Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service launched a new web tool allowing quick registration for Economic Impact Payments for those who don’t normally file a tax return.
The non-filer tool, developed in partnership between the IRS and the Free File Alliance, provides a free and easy option designed for people who don’t have a return filing obligation, including those with too little income to file. The feature is available only on IRS.gov, and users should look for Non-filers: Enter Payment Info Here to take them directly to the tool.
The tool will request basic information to confirm eligibility, calculate and send the Economic Impact Payments:
-Full names and Social Security numbers, including for spouse and dependents
-Mailing address
-Bank account type, account and routing numbers
To access the non-filer tool, click here: https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus/non-filers-enter-payment-info-here
SSI recipients with no qualifying children do not need to take any action in order to receive their $1,200 economic impact payment.
For SSI recipients who have qualifying children under age 17, go to IRS.gov and click on the “Non-Filers: Enter Payment Info Here” button. The tool will request basic information to confirm eligibility, calculate and send the Economic Impact Payments.
Recipients will receive the $500 per dependent child payment in addition to their $1,200 individual payment. If SSI beneficiaries in this group do not provide their information to the IRS soon, they will have to wait until later to receive their $500 per qualifying child.
For those SSI recipients with dependents who use Direct Express debit cards, additional information will be available soon regarding the steps to take on the IRS web site when claiming children under 17.
The Social Security Administration will not consider Economic Impact Payments as income for SSI recipients, and the payments are excluded from resources for 12 months.
Taxfilers
Use the IRS's "Get My Payment" application to:
-Check your payment status
-Confirm your payment type: direct deposit or check
-Enter your bank account information for direct deposit if the IRS doesn't have your direct deposit information and hasn't sent your payment yet
To access the "Get My Payment" application, click here: https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus/get-my-payment
Due to high demand you may have to wait longer than usual to access this site.
More Information
Senator Manchin's Unemployment Fact Sheet: https://www.manchin.senate.gov/download/cares-act-unemployment
Senator Manchin's Checks For West Virginians Fact Sheet: https://www.manchin.senate.gov/download/cares-act-checks-for-west-virginians
Apply For Unemployment (WorkForce West Virginia): https://uc.workforcewv.org/consumer/?lang=en
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