UWC Supports H.R. 1156, Pandemic Unemployment Fraud Enforcement Act
UWC is sending a letter to House Speaker Johnson, Ways and Means Committee Chair Smith and Rules Committee Chairwoman Foxx, in support of HR 1156, the Pandemic Unemployment Fraud Enforcement Act. This bill would extend the period during which criminal prosecutions may be filed and pandemic unemployment compensation may be recovered for an additional five years. There remain billions of [...]
Employers in California, New York, and Connecticut At Risk of FUTA Tax Increases for 2025
The potential increase in net FUTA taxes due to the Benefit Cost Rate offset credit reduction for employers in Connecticut, New York and California is shown in the attached posting from the US Department of Law. Because these states had outstanding loans as of January 1st of 2024 and 2025 and have not repaid the outstanding loan as of January [...]
Disaster Unemployment Assistance Available through Unemployment Insurance Agencies
In addition to assistance that may otherwise be available directly through the Federal Emergency Management Agency, State unemployment insurance, labor and workforce agencies administer disaster unemployment assistance (DUA) for individuals who have become unemployed due to a disaster emergency declaration by the President. DUA applications may be available for individuals through state agencies to provide support payments in impacted states. [...]
Striking Workers’ are Not Eligible for Unemployment Compensation
Recent proposals in some states and the current strike announced by the International Longshore Workers once again raises the question as to whether striking workers who are not available for work may be paid unemployment compensation. Federal law is clear that individuals who are not available for work during a week in which they are otherwise unemployed and eligible for [...]
Senators Wyden, Crapo Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Address UI Fraud Prosecution, Benefit Accessibility and Waiver of Overpayments
On July 10, 2024, the Chair and ranking member of the US Senate Committee on Finance, Senators Wyden (D-OR) and Crapo (R-ID), introduced bi-partisan legislation, the Unemployment Insurance Integrity and Accessibility Act. The committee press release with links to the section-by-section summary and legislative language is shown below. The bill extends the period during which civil and criminal actions may [...]
Representatives Steel and Tenney Introduce Legislation to Protect Small Businesses from FUTA Tax Increases
On May 23rd Representatives Steel and Tenney Introduced legislation to provide relief from Federal Unemployment Tax triggered increases on employers with employment in states with outstanding federal unemployment insurance loans. California and New York are two states in which the Federal Unemployment Tax net rate will increase again for 2024 (along with the Virgin Islands). Employers in Connecticut are also [...]