The COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted many people's ability to provide for themselves and their families. Thankfully, there are federal, state, and local programs to help.
For up-to-date information on the phased reopening of Massachusetts, visit the mass.gov reopening page here.
The CARES Act
The CARES Act is a national law which provides Massachusetts with resources to expand unemployment assistance programs:
Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA):
PUA provides payments to workers not traditionally eligible for unemployment benefits (self-employed, independent contractors, workers with limited work history, and others) who are unable to work as a direct result of the public health emergency.
Click here to apply or to find more information.
Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC):
The PEUC program provides up to 13 weeks of unemployment assistance to individuals who have exhausted their previous unemployment benefits.
Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC):
The FPUC program provides an additional $600 per week to individuals who are collecting regular unemployment compensation (UC), pandemic emergency compensation (PEUC), pandemic unemployment assistance (PUA), extended benefits (EB), Trade Readjustment Act (TRA), and/or Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DA).
Eligible claimants who are already receiving one of these forms of unemployment assistance do not need to do anything for the additional $600 to be added to their weekly benefit amount.
For more information about the CARES Act and its benefits, click here.
Paycheck Protection Program (PPP)
The Paycheck Protection Program offers federally-guaranteed loans to small businesses. These loans may be forgiven if maintain their payrolls during the crisis or restore their payrolls afterward.
Download this pdf from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for more information about eligibility and the application process.
Still have questions? Call the 24/7 unemployment hotline at (877) 626-6800 or visit the Department of Unemployment Assistance's website.
