{"id":49969,"date":"2021-01-08T09:26:00","date_gmt":"2021-01-08T15:26:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/resource-center.hrblock.com\/?p=49969"},"modified":"2021-07-28T17:18:39","modified_gmt":"2021-07-28T22:18:39","slug":"cares-act-unemployment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hrbcomlnp.hrblock.com\/tax-center\/irs\/tax-law-and-policy\/cares-act-unemployment\/","title":{"rendered":"Unemployment benefits under the CARES Act (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong><em>Editor\u2019s Note:&nbsp;<\/em><\/strong><em>This article was originally published on April 2, 2020.&nbsp;<\/em>Get the latest on unemployment relief on our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hrblock.com\/tax-center\/coronavirus-tax-impact\/\">Coronavirus resource center<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the wake of the coronavirus (COVID-19) health crisis, thousands of businesses have closed or laid off workers, leading to a record-high surge in unemployment claims. As part of the effort to support individuals and families, the government expanded unemployment insurance provisions in March 2020 with a stimulus bill, known as the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Many of the benefits from the CARES Act legislation have expired. As you review the information below, we\u2019ve called out what has changed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Who is eligible for unemployment insurance since the CARES Act has passed?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition to those who would normally&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.hrblock.com\/tax-center\/income\/other-income\/how-to-claim-unemployment-benefits\/\">qualify for unemployment<\/a>, anyone who lost their job or had to leave their job due to coronavirus impacts is potentially eligible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Specifically, these types of workers can now apply for unemployment, even if you have a limited work history:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Full-time employees<\/li><li>Part-time employees<\/li><li>Some self-employed workers, which may include freelancers, independent contractors or gig workers. Check the rules for your state for the rules regarding these workers.<\/li><li><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How much will I get with these unemployment benefits?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>With the CARES Act, you\u2019ll receive federal unemployment dollars on top of the base amount that you\u2019d normally receive from the state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>State benefits:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>All normal unemployment benefits will be extended to 39 weeks<\/li><li>No required waiting week, regardless of previous state policies<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Federal benefit:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>An additional $600 per week for four months<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>To see how this works, let\u2019s look at an example. If your weekly state unemployment payment would have been $333 (the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbpp.org\/research\/economy\/policy-basics-unemployment-insurance\">nationwide average<\/a>&nbsp;in April), you\u2019ll now receive an additional $600 from the federal government as part of the CARES Act unemployment benefits. This means you\u2019d receive $933 weekly and would receive these boosted payments for up to four months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Update on Dec. 18, 2020:<\/strong> Federal unemployment benefits of $600 for four months expired at the end of July 2020. Additionally, state benefit extensions to 39 weeks end on December 31, 2020. If you apply for unemployment benefits with your state today, the number of weeks you will receive depends on your state\u2019s rules.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How do I apply for unemployment insurance?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>You can apply online at your state\u2019s unemployment office website or call their office. To find the information for your state, visit the unemployment benefits finder&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.careeronestop.org\/LocalHelp\/UnemploymentBenefits\/find-unemployment-benefits.aspx\">website<\/a>&nbsp;sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When you contact your state\u2019s unemployment office, you\u2019ll usually be asked to self-certify that you\u2019re typically able and available to work. The CARES Act provides states with leeway regarding availability because of:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Your being diagnosed with or exposed to COVID-19<\/li><li>Your household being impacted<\/li><li>Your employer being forced to close due to the virus<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What if I was already receiving unemployment insurance?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019ve been claiming unemployment for a while and are near the end of the maximum number of weeks from your state, you\u2019ll be able to collect the benefits for the extended timeframe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How unemployment insurance affects your taxes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Because unemployment benefits are considered income, you\u2019ll need to report them on your 2020 federal and state (as applicable) taxes when you file your return in early 2021. The federal government will issue&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.hrblock.com\/tax-center\/irs\/forms\/what-is-form-1099-g\/\">Form 1099-G<\/a>, which reports the amounts paid to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Important Note:<\/strong> When you apply for unemployment benefits you can request federal income tax withheld. Learn more in our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hrblock.com\/tax-center\/income\/other-income\/unemployment-income\/\">Is Unemployment Taxed?<\/a> post.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Editor\u2019s Note:&nbsp;This article was originally published on April 2, 2020.&nbsp;Get the latest on unemployment relief on our Coronavirus resource center. In the wake of the coronavirus (COVID-19) health crisis, thousands of businesses have closed or laid off workers, leading to a record-high surge in unemployment claims. As part of the effort to support individuals and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":406,"featured_media":49972,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[25,59],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-49969","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-irs","category-tax-law-and-policy"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<title>CARES Act and Unemployment | H&amp;R Block<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Find details on how the Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act provides benefits for workers who have lost their jobs due to the health crisis.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/hrbcomlnp.hrblock.com\/tax-center\/irs\/tax-law-and-policy\/cares-act-unemployment\/\" \/>\n<meta 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