Update from Senator Anwar 4/15/2020

For a town-by-town breakdown and other COVID-19 statistics, please visit: https://portal.ct.gov/Coronavirus

Unemployment System Significantly Improved
The Department of Labor this week introduced a software improvement that officials said will quicken the speed at which unemployment claims are processed, with new estimates being a decrease from six-week waiting periods at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic to a current period of one week or less.

Governor Lamont’s administration said the department has been operating on a 40-year-old computer system to process the claims, though it has been implementing software upgrades previously to improve the technology. Since March 13, the department has received more than 350,000 applications, nearly double the amount it typically receives in a single year. As of the beginning of this week, 174,000 of those applications have already been manually processed. In the last three weeks, more than $107 million in benefits have been provided, compared to a traditional $15 to $16 million per week.

Anyone who has applied for unemployment benefits is urged to monitor their email for notifications from the Department of Labor directing them to take action on next steps. Claimants are advised to use direct deposit; a shortage of debit cards could cause up to three weeks of additional delay.

Federal Unemployment Stimulus Benefits To Begin April 24
Processing for the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation, which adds $600 in federal stimulus funds to every weekly state benefit, is scheduled to begin April 24, with additional funds to be included in Connecticut benefit payments the following week. Claim applications for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, which provides benefits for self-employed and independent contractors, are expected to be accepted starting April 30.

Multi-State Council To Restore The Economy
In recent weeks, it has become clear COVID-19 is not strictly a Connecticut problem, but a regional problem. The governors of Connecticut, New York, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Delaware announced they are creating a multi-state council to restore the economy and get people back to work, building on the ongoing regional response to battling the virus. The six governors will each select a health expert and economic development expert from their states to develop a framework and gradually lift stay-at-home orders while working to minimize the risk of further spread of the virus. They intend to ease social isolation while mitigating further viral spread through testing, contact tracing, treatment and social distancing and will regularly review a variety of information to make decisions.

Connecticut has designated the Reopen Connecticut Advisory Group to examine these issues to reopen the economy while ensuring public health remains protected. The advisory group will be co-chaired by Indra Nooyi, current board co-chair of nonprofit AdvanceCT and former chairman and CEO of PepsiCo, and Albert Ko MD, a professor of epidemiology and medicine and department chair at the Yale School of Public Health. Additional senior advisors will include University of Pennsylvania Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy chair and Vice Provost of Global Initiatives Ezekiel Emanuel and former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb. More members will be announced in coming days.

Stimulus Checks
Financial stimulus checks intended to support the public have begun being released by the federal government. Individuals who filed tax returns in 2018 or 2019 valued at less than $75,000 are eligible to receive $1,200, with couples filing together receiving up to $2,400. These filings also include an additional $500 per child. The payments begin phasing out for individuals with incomes above $75,000, with the amount reduced by $5 per every $100 earned above $75,000 and the stimulus phased out for those making above $99,000. The income thresholds are doubled for married couples. Social Security recipients will also automatically receive their payments, even if they have not filed returns.

Those who filed taxes in 2019 or 2018 and included financial and banking information regarding a tax return will likely receive their stimulus check direct-deposited into their bank account. The IRS reported up to 80 million people will receive their stimulus in their bank accounts by April 15.

Taxpayers who have not authorized direct deposits could wait weeks for a paper check to arrive in the mail, though the IRS has introduced a new tool on its website titled “Get My Payment.” Users will need to input Social Security numbers, dates of birth, mailing addresses and, if applicable, information from their 2019 or 2018 tax forms to confirm their identities and can receive confirmation about the status and type of payment they will receive. They can also submit bank account information to speed up the delivery of a check from physical to direct deposit. Non-tax filers who don’t have filing requirements can also submit information to receive a stimulus payment.

Healthcare Enrollment Period To End Friday, April 17

Individuals who are uninsured and would like to sign up for health insurance through Access Health CT have only until Friday, April 17 before an extended, COVID-19 specific special enrollment period ends. Please call 855-365-2428 to sign up for affordable, comprehensive health care coverage.

Life Insurance For Front-Line Health Care Workers
The Connecticut Insurance Department has expedited approval of HealthBridge, a life insurance plan from Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance (or MassMutual), for front-line health care workers fighting COVID-19. The coverage allows these workers to directly enroll for no-premium payment three-year term life insurance policies with death benefits of $25,000 for workers between the ages of 18 and 50 and $10,000 for workers ages 51 to 60. Recipients must be employed at licensed hospitals, urgent care centers or emergency medical services providers who are exposed to COVID-19 patients. Doctors, nurses, lab technicians, custodial staff, maintenance crews, cafeteria workers and security personnel will be considered for coverage. More details and enrollment information is available here.

Infusion of Funding for Emergency Food Assistance
The state Department of Social Services announced it is allocating more than $3.8 million in federal assistance to two of the state’s largest food banks. The Connecticut Food Bank will receive $1.9 million for food and another $650,000 for administrative costs. Foodshare will receive nearly $1 million for food and $300,000 for administrative costs. This funding comes from the Families First Coronavirus Response Act of 2020 and The Emergency Food Assistance Program, which will allow the food banks to increase their orders of canned, frozen and fresh fruits and vegetables; eggs, meat, poultry and fish; nuts; milk; cheese; and grains including rice, cereal and pasta. It will also help meet increased demand in the community through food pantries, soup kitchens and distribution sites. The funding will further assist with trucking, delivery costs, warehousing, refrigerating and staffing costs.

Employment Legal Information Call

Connecticut Legal Services, Greater Hartford Legal Aid and New Haven Legal Assistance Association representatives will on Thursday hold a conference call for individuals seeking legal information on unemployment compensation, paid leave and workplace safety. Questions will include applying for unemployment compensation, eligibility for federal paid sick leave, what self-employed or “gig” workers are eligible to receive, what to do if a workplace is unsafe, and other current issues impacting employment. The call will be held Thursday, April 16 at 12 p.m.

RSVP by sending an email to [email protected] to send questions in advance. The call’s dial-in number is 978-990-5000 with access code 219660#.

New COVID-19 Mitigation Strategies
Governor Lamont’s newest executive order implements several new mitigation strategies aimed to slow the transmission of COVID-19 and protect public health and health systems. These provisions include:

• Temporarily waiving certain state contract requirements to expedite the procurement of essential goods and services, including personal protective equipment urgently needed to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Suspending the need for a property owner, attorney or agent to appear before a board of assessment appeals in person; they are now allowed to use remote technology.
• Security services and businesses are now temporarily allowed to waive licensing requirements to employ security officers not licensed in Connecticut but licensed in other states to address a current shortage.

Manufacturing Shifts
Connecticut announced a partnership with the Connecticut Business and Industry Association to help manufacturers changing operations to make critical medical equipment and supplies collaborate with health care institutions experiencing equipment and supply shortages. Manufacturers are hoped to be used as non-traditional sources to meet needs that the market, strained due to global demand, cannot meet. The new CONNSTEP website www.ctcovidresponse.org will allow manufacturers to learn about pressing supply needs in Connecticut, make connections with suppliers and provide products to health care groups. The state Department of Administrative Services has a purchasing team generating and following sourcing leads for manufacturers and distributors.

Tax Deadline Shifts
While April 15 is annually Tax Day, the state Department of Revenue Services has delayed state tax returns until July 15 to give members of the public more time to prepare returns. These include individual income tax returns, individual income tax estimates, trust and estate tax returns, payments and estimates, pass-through entity returns, payments and estimates, corporate tax returns, payments and estimates, estate and gift tax returns and payments and unrelated business income tax returns, payments and estimates.

Disabled American Veterans Helping Furloughed Veterans
Disabled American Veterans, or DAV, will provide payments of $250 to any service-connected disabled veteran who has been laid off or furloughed due to COVID-19. Any service-connected disabled veteran, including self-employed contractors or small business owners, who have lost employment as a direct result of COVID-19 are eligible. For more information and an application form, please visit DAV.org/COVIDrelief.

Restaurant Strong Furloughed Worker Grants
The Restaurant Strong movement, founded by The Greg Hill Foundation and Samuel Adams, is releasing grants to assist restaurant workers who have been laid off or furloughed. Any full-time employee working at least 30 hours total per week (workers who received 30 hours per week at multiple restaurants are eligible), were employed for at least three months at the same location and who complete an application form are eligible to qualify for grant assistance. Not every applicant will receive grants.