Pandemic: Programs, Policies, & Prospects Workforce 360Apr 07, 2020 · D. Policy Information E....

Chicago Jobs Council

Workforce 360

Pandemic: Programs, Policies, & ProspectsApril 7, 2020


Eric HalvorsonPolicy & Communications

Associate


● Lines are muted● Questions? Use the

chat box● Raise hand feature

(phone *9)


Agenda

A. Welcome / Purpose

B. Listening Session

C. 5 Minute break

D. Policy Information

E. Wrap-up


Take a breath

● You may be doing and feeling a lot right now. ● Let’s take 5 minutes together.● Call it meditation, breathing exercises, or a moment of

zen, but it’s important to check in with yourself and your body.


Take a breath


Tanvi Shah

Director of the Frontline Focus Training Institute

Cheryl Hester

Frontline Focus Administrator

Dana Horstein

Program Manager

https://cjc.net/team-members/tanvi-shah/?portfolioCats=10

https://cjc.net/team-members/cheryl-hester/?portfolioCats=10

https://cjc.net/team-members/dana/?portfolioCats=10


Listening Session


How is your organization adjusting its programs and services to meet

participant needs during the COVID-19 pandemic?


How is your organization being affected by the COVID-19 pandemic

on a systemic level (funding, staffing, program priorities, etc.)?


What resources have been most useful in responding to the crisis thus

far?


Pandemic Policy for Job Seekers in Illinois


Mari Castaldi

Director of Policy and Advocacy

Angela Morrison

Policy Associate

https://cjc.net/team-members/mari/?portfolioCats=10

https://cjc.net/team-members/angela-morrison/?portfolioCats=10


Pandemic Policy: Agenda

1. Unemployment insurance 2. Stimulus payments 3. Workers’ Rights during COVID-194. SNAP, Medicaid, and student loans 5. Tickets, Towing, Fines/Fees 6. Assistance for nonprofits 7. New federal workforce funding 8. Open Q&A


Historic Spike in UI Claims in IL


IDES: Impacted & Overwhelmed

• All offices closed • Week of March 21: 1400% increase in claims

compared to prior year • Implemented measures to manage increased

demand – Alphabetized schedule by last name (A-M:

T/Th/Sun, N-Z M/W/F, Saturdays anyone)

• Claims will be backdated to date of job loss


Unemployment Insurance in IL

(under normal circumstances) • Who is eligible:

– People who had a “covered” job – Earned enough money during previous “base

period” ($1600 during base; 440 in hiqh quarter)– “Involuntarily unemployed” – Actively seeking work and able to start work right

away


COVID UI in IL

• Who is eligible: – People who had a “covered” job (if employers

pay in) New federal law expands who can get UI – Earned enough money during previous “base

period” (1600; 440 in hiqh quarter)– “involuntarily unemployed” including for COVID

reasons– Actively seeking work and able to start work right

away Don’t have to prove work search during pandemic


Unemployment Insurance in IL

(under normal circumstances) • How much is the benefit?

– Depends on earnings – In IL: Max is 47% of Average Weekly Wages:

• Max: $546.05 per week • Min: $51

– Includes allocation for dependent care – Usually max of 26 weeks


COVID UI in IL

• How much is the benefit? – Depends on earnings – In IL: Max is 47% of Average Weekly Wages:

Additional benefits under new federal programs, including extra $600 per week for every person• Max: $546.05 per week • Min: $51

– Includes allocation for dependent care – Usually max of 26 weeks Extended benefits in

place at this time


Federal Relief UI Changes

• Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (PUC)– Provides $600 extra UI benefits per week for all

recipients

• Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC)– 13 extra weeks of UI, funded fully by fed gov’t

• Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) – Emergency UI for people who are usually left out


Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA)

• Who does it cover: – Everyone who is usually eligible for state UI– Self-employed people – Independent contractors – People who didn’t work enough hours or earn

enough to qualify under normal rules

• 39 weeks of coverage • Rules/procedures still in development - can’t

apply yet– Seems like fed gov’t is issuing narrow guidance


Supporting People with UI Process

• Apply even if you are not sure if you are eligible. – Rules are changing and expanding every day

• Be as patient as possible given to administrative challenges. – Benefits should be backdated to date of job loss

• Legal Aid Chicago may be able to help w/ UI.

https://www.legalaidchicago.org/get-help/how-do-i-apply-for-legal-aid/


Supporting Current Job Seekers

• Resources for who’s hiring now: – Skills for Chicagoland’s Future– Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership

• Drop other helpful resources in the chat and we will compile them.

https://www.scfjobs.com/

https://chicookworks.org/home/worknow/


UI Will Still Leaves Some Behind

• Undocumented workers

• Chronically unemployed individuals with no prior work history

• Workers whose earnings come from the informal economy, or those whose employers do not report their compensation


Questions or ideas re: unemployment benefits?


Stimulus Payments

• Adults whose income was $75,000 or less in 2018 or 2019 will receive a one-time payment of $1,200, plus an additional $500 per child 16 or under.

• People who qualify will automatically receive this payment.

– Individuals who are undocumented/have ITINs, or are part of a mixed-status family, will not receive the payment.

• Payments will not count as income for the purpose of public benefits.


Stimulus Payments

• How to get payments quickly and easily: – File 2019 taxes ASAP:

• IRS Free Filing Resources• Assistance with Taxes through Ladder Up (for people with less than

$36k in income)

• Include direct deposit information

– If a person filed taxes already but didn’t include direct deposit info, IRS will be developing web page to enter direct deposit info.

https://apps.irs.gov/app/freeFile/jsp/wizard.jsp

https://www.tfaforms.com/4799175

https://www.tfaforms.com/4799175


Stimulus Payments

• How to get payments quickly and easily: – People who get Social Security retirement benefits and

Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) will still automatically receive the payment.

– People who receive Supplemental Social Security Income (SSI) need to file a simple tax return – that is still being developed.

– Child support debts will be deducted from the stimulus payment. Most other kinds of public debt will not.

• Keep checking www.irs.gov for the most up to date info.

http://www.irs.gov


Questions or ideas re: stimulus payments?


Workers Rights During COVID-19

• We are hearing reports of: – Non-essential workplaces staying open in

violation of state order– “Essential” workplaces not providing sufficient

health safety conditions for workers – Employers engaging in wage theft, worker

misclassification, etc in order to prevent workers from getting UI


Workers Rights During COVID-19

• Resources to support workers: – Illinois Attorney General Workers Rights – Illinois Department of Labor– Illinois OSHA– Emergency Child Care– Housing Action Illinois

https://www2.illinois.gov/sites/OECD/Pages/For-Communities.aspx

https://housingactionil.org/what-we-do/public-education-organizing/covid-19-information-resources/


Questions or ideas re: workers rights?


SNAP & Medicaid Benefits

• Work requirement for Able-bodied Adults Without Dependents (ABAWDs) is suspended during the public health crisis– May not be reinstated depending on economic

conditions • All households should start receiving maximum

benefit ASAP• SNAP re-determinations delayed 6 months • No one should have Medicaid cut off during crisis• Waiving most in-person interviews & signature reqs


Questions or ideas re: public benefits programs?


Student Loans

• CARES Act suspends federal student loan payments for six months (through Sept 30, 2020.) – Takes effect automatically without any effort from the

borrower – Six months of suspended payments do count towards

loan forgiveness programs, including Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) and Income Driven Forgiveness (PAYE, REPAYE, IBR)

– No interest will accrue for six months– Credit reporting will take place, as if you were making the

payments

• This does not affect private student loans.


Ticketing, Towing, Fines/Fees

• Non-safety ticketing is suspended

• Tickets will not double

• Unpaid payment plans will not go into default

• Debts will not be referred to collections

• Booting is suspended, and the City is removing all

boots

• Towing and Impounding for debt collection is

suspended. Safety related towing will continue.


Ticketing, Towing, Fines/Fees

• Ride-hail drivers (such as Uber and Lyft) will not be

deactivated or banned for ticket debts

• No new license suspension requests for red light or

speed camera tickets (unlike parking ticket

suspensions, these suspensions were not eliminated

by the License to Work Act)

• We are pushing for similar actions to be taken

statewide.


Other local relief efforts• No utility shut-offs or late payment fees through at

least May 1• No evictions or foreclosures for federally-backed

mortgages during emergency declaration– Rent & mortgage payments still owed

• Still needed: rent & mortgage relief – Renter resources:

• https://rentervention.com/ • CARPLS, a legal assistance agency:

https://www.carpls.org/client-services/

• No car repossessions– Car payments still owed

https://www.carpls.org/client-services/


Questions or ideas re: other emergency relief efforts?


Financial Assistance for Nonprofits

• The Chicago Community Trust and other

philanthropic partners put together the Community

COVID-19 Response fund to support service

providers to meet the increased community need.

• There is no open application, but organizations can

submit for consideration using this form.

• A first round of organizations have received funding. – If your org received funding, drop a note in the chat about how you’ve

used it.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf7YtOABWNwzj-GP4Rfo4Tyxf3sL96Wd2F5tlQ4aWnH9jPeTA/viewform



• The CARES Act authorized “Paycheck Protection

Program,”

– Support for small businesses, including

nonprofits, to help retain workers despite the

economic slowdown.

• Employers can borrow up to 250% of their average

monthly payroll (with max. of 10M)’

• Up to 100% forgivable if employers keep paying

their workers.



• Apply as soon as possible.

– Funds are limited and will likely run out. • Talk to your lender today (or a local lender):

– Ask to apply for SBA 7a program called "Payroll

Protection Program". Borrower form here.

• Register today for a Cook County webinar about “How the

Paycheck Protection Program Impacts Small Businesses in

Cook County” on Wednesday, April 8, 2020 9:30 AM CDT at:

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2327011213033

337867

https://home.treasury.gov/system/files/136/Paycheck-Protection-Program-Application-3-30-2020-v3.pdf

https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/2327011213033337867




WIOA Programming During COVID-19

• Will there be flexibility around performance measures and potential for grant extensions?

– IL has sought waiver from USDOL to waive performance requirements.

– Unclear if USDOL will grant flexibility. • Ability to purchase laptops for participants using

supportive services funding? – Yes


WIOA Programming During COVID-19

• DCEO suspended TABE test • Process under development to allow electronic

signatures – If agencies have DocuSign, they can use it as if

now


Questions or ideas re: support for nonprofits?


New Federal Workforce Funding

• The United States Department of Labor released $100 million in new emergency grants to serve dislocated workers. Learn more here.

• $345 million in new funding for the Dislocated Worker National Reserve

– National grants to support training and career services for workers who have lost their jobs due to CoVid-19

• Extension of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant through November 30, 2020

https://www.dol.gov/newsroom/releases/eta/eta20200318


New Federal Workforce Funding

• Supportive services: – $3.5 billion in Child Care and Development Block Grants (CCDBG) to states

for immediate assistance to child care providers to prevent them from going

out of business and also to support child care for essential workers

• Pritzker has eliminated all co-pays for childcare for essential workers

during this time

– funding to address mental health and substance use disorders as a result of

the coronavirus pandemic

– Additional housing resources through HUD for elderly, disabled, veteran,

homeless, and low-income populations

• We can expect additional workforce funding to

come as part of the next stimulus package .


Questions or ideas re: workforce funding?


So Much More Relief Needed

• Additional direct payments to families & individuals– Including relief for undocumented people

• Help with bills and debt payments, including: – Rent & Mortgages – Student loans

• Safe and rapid decarceration of jails and prisons in IL

• Resources to address “digital divide”


Questions or ideas re: other topics?


Tentative date for next W360 Meeting: May 13, 2020

Pandemic: Programs, Policies, & Prospects Workforce 360Apr 07, 2020 · D. Policy Information E....

Documents

Transcript of Pandemic: Programs, Policies, & Prospects Workforce 360Apr 07, 2020 · D. Policy Information E....