WASHINGTON D.C. (WBAP/KLIF News) – Although Texas opted out of the COVID-related federal unemployment benefit funding back in May, the $300 weekly jobless benefit officially ends today.
The cutoff impacts about 8.9 million people nationwide.
There are actually four types of benefits that are ending Monday including the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation, Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation and the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program.
The additional funding was part of the $2.2 trillion CARES Act which Congress approved in March of 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In March of 2021, Congress extended the benefits as part of the American Rescue Plan stimulus package.
These benefits come on the heels of the ending of the federal eviction moratorium imposed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Other pandemic related assistance is still available including rental aid and the expanded Child Tax Credit.
The Biden administration said the U.S. economy is strong enough not to be severely impacted by the loss of these safety nets, reports the Associated Press.
Copyright 2021. WBAP/KLIF News. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
