Lenders will have to immediately stop requiring payments and accruing interest on federal education loans after President Trump signed the new coronavirus aid bill into law.
3.3 million Americans filed for their first week of unemployment benefits last week, as businesses shut down to slow the spread of the coronavirus. That is the highest number of initial claims in history.
Congress’ historic stimulus bill meant to bring financial relief to parts of the nation’s economy is helping those filing for unemployment during the coronavirus pandemic.
Congress has announced agreement on a $2 trillion economic relief package for the effects of COVID-19. Most households will get a relief check, and unemployment insurance has been greatly expanded.
The best place to get a job right now might be the unemployment office. In Washington State, where the coronavirus outbreak found its first foothold in the United States, officials are trying to fill multiple positions processing jobless claims. “Due to the temporary closure of some businesses here in Washington State we are anticipating the need for additional staffing,” according to the job posting, which promises interviews next week.
The Labor Department reported 281,000 new claims for unemployment insurance last week, a one-third increase over the previous week that it attributed to the coronavirus epidemic. It was the highest level of claims since September 2017 and the first in a flood of unfavorable economic indicators expected from the Trump administration as businesses shut down and workers go home.
The number of Americans filing for unemployment jumped by 70,000 last week, the highest level since September 2017, because of the increase in coronavirus-related layoffs, according to the Department of Labor. Thousands of people who have been recently laid off, lost their jobs, or had their work hours reduced were then subjected to further frustration after several states websites’ crashed because of high traffic. Many on social media were left confused and fearful over their eligibility for unemployment benefits, including those who were furloughed or on zero-hour contracts.
The Trump administration has shelved its plan to level strict work requirements on people using food stamps, at least for the duration of the coronavirus outbreak. As of April, 1 the White House’s new rules would have required people without a disability or children to work 20 hours per week to qualify for SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (colloquially known as food stamps). As businesses are shutting down all across the country to stop the spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, millions of people were projected to lose this support.
The Agriculture Department said Wednesday that it would appeal a judge’s ruling that it would be “arbitrary and capricious” to move forward during a global health crisis with food stamp changes that could force hundreds of thousands from the program.
A federal judge has temporarily blocked a Trump administration federal rule from going into effect next month that could have seen nearly 700,000 people lose access to food stamps, noting in part a need for flexibility as state and federal officials work to address nutritional needs during the coronavirus pandemic.
President Donald Trump said he wouldn’t touch Medicare before pitching a budget plan that would do exactly that, along with steep cuts to Medicaid. Democrats are calling it “savage” and “heartless,” while administration officials are insisting they are only slowing explosive growth in future years and that current Medicare benefits would remain untouched.
A rule change to the federal food stamp program proposed by the Trump administration would cause children in low-income families across the United States to go hungry, educators and hunger advocates told Congress on Thursday.
Fourteen U.S. states, along with New York City and Washington, D.C., are suing to block a new Trump administration rule that tightens work requirements for people on food stamps, arguing that the regulation ignores the labor issues facing poor Americans.
The lawsuit argues that USDA unlawfully limited states' discretion to exempt certain adults from work requirements for an extended period of time based on local employment conditions.
Southern U.S. states that expanded Medicaid “experienced lower rates of physical and mental health declines” than nearby regions that didn’t expand health benefits for poor Americans, a new analysis shows in Health Affairs shows.
Science has proved, no kidding around: Picking health insurance is extremely hard. SPECIAL REPORTS An Arm and a Leg Health care — and how much it costs — is scary. But you’re not alone with this stuff, and knowledge is power. “An Arm and a Leg” is a podcast about these issues, and its second season is co-produced by KHN. It’s open enrollment — time to pick next year’s insurance — for folks who buy it on their own and for many of us in our jobs. Lots of us aren’t sure we know how to pick, and research shows: We’re not wrong.
A new bill would mark a major federal investment in worker training, and would also help underemployed workers.
There's one area of student loan reform where Kamala Harris has uniquely positioned herself.
February food-stamp benefits for millions of Americans are set to be paid out early, creating a logistical challenge for states and grocery stores.
The United States government promised to fund SNAP benefits through February, but if the partial government shutdown lasts longer, one non-profit is gearing up for the potential increase in demand for food assistance.