Millions of New Yorkers Losing COVID Unemployment Benefits

Bye-bye benefits. A number of federal programs that expanded and extended unemployment benefits during the COVID pandemic are over.

The weekly $300 Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PUA) is no more. the Extended Benefits, lengthening the amount of time someone could receive unemployment payments after losing their job, has come to an end too.

State officials can decide to extend the program but Governor Kathy Hochul says it won't happen in New York, affecting more than 1.6 million who are unemployed across the state.

“Our unemployment system was so overtaxed last year and a half that we now have an $11 billion deficit, and the state law does not allow us to allocate any increase in resources as long as there is a deficit,” Hochul said during a press conference in Manhattan.

The unemployment rate was at 7.6% in July, according to the New York Department of Labor. In New York City it was 10.5%, almost double the national average of 5.4%.

PUA was created for independent contractors or gig workers who don't fall into the traditional unemployment benefits program, providing $300 a week in compensation.

Extended Benefits increased the amount of time unemployment insurance could be claimed. It falls back to the original 26 weeks allotted to collect. Anyone collecting regular unemployment insurance will keep getting benefits until they hit 26 weeks.

If you need help from the state of New York, you can learn what programs are being offered at NY.gov.