Category Archives: Income Support

Senate Rejects “Skinny” COVID Relief Bill

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On September 10, Senate Republicans failed to get enough votes to advance their pared-down version of the COVID-19 relief bill they introduced last month. This bill included a $300 unemployment benefit bonus; additional Paycheck Protection Program loans for businesses experiencing substantial revenue drops; additional education funding (including for private school scholarships); additional funding for development and distribution of vaccines, drugs, and other medical supplies; liability protections; and an expanded charitable tax deduction. This $650 billion bill did not include any of The Arc’s top priorities, which are:

  • Increased federal funding for home and community-based services (HCBS) under Medicaid
  • Increased access to personal protective equipment (PPE) for direct support professionals
  • Expanded eligibility for economic impact payments to adult dependents and another round of payments
  • Paid leave eligibility for family caregivers of adults with disabilities, including siblings and grandparents

We urge you to continue contacting your Senators here.

GAO Releases Report on Deaths, Bankruptcies, and Wait Times Among Social Security Benefit Appellees

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On August 13, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a study on death, bankruptcies, and wait times among people appealing Social Security disability determinations. The report found that between the median wait time for people appealing their initial determination was 839 days between fiscal years (FY) 2008 and 2019. The annual death rate increased from 0.52% in 2011 to 0.72% in 2018. In that same period, 109,725 people died while awaiting a final determination. Between FY 2014 and 2019, approximately 48,000 people awaiting appeals filed bankruptcy.

CHN Holds Webinar on Using Census Surveys of Poverty, Income, and Health

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On September 9, the Coalition on Human Needs held a webinar titled “Then and Now: How to Use New Census Surveys About Poverty, Income, and Health from 2019 and 2020.” Speakers were Jared Bernstein, Senior Fellow, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities; Arloc Sherman, Vice President of Data Analysis and Research, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities; and Deborah Weinstein, Executive Director, Coalition on Human Needs. Sign up here to view the webinar recording.

Congressional Negotiations Stall on Next COVID Package; Trump Issues Proposals

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With stimulus talks stalled, President Trump issued executive actions over the weekend to provide relief to Americans affected by the pandemic. The President proposed the following relief measures:

  • Unemployment insurance (UI) benefits. Up to $400 additional weekly federal UI benefit. States would be required to pay for 25% of the benefit.
  • Eviction moratorium. The order includes no new resources to assist renters and only directs federal agencies to “review all existing authorities and resources” and consider measures that are “reasonably necessary to prevent the further spread of COVID-19.” It does not extend the limited federal eviction moratorium that expired on July 24.
  • Payroll tax. The measure proposes to defer the portion of payroll taxes paid by employees for some low-wage workers from September 1 to the end of the year. There is no provision made to reimbursing the Social Security and Medicare trust funds for these losses and the taxes would need to be paid back after 2020. This measure would not help the unemployed and will hurt the finances of Social Security and Medicare, which are already under fiscal strain.
  • Student loans. The President’s memorandum directs the Education Department to extend by three months the student loan relief granted in previous COVID relief legislation until the end of the year. Student loan payments are presently paused and interest is suspended on federally-held student loans until the end of September.

Numerous questions have been raised about the President’s authority to undertake such actions without Congressional approval.

COVID Relief: Senate Releases Framework for Next Package; Advocacy Needed

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Last week, the Senate released a framework for its fourth COVID-19 response bill. The package of bills, called the Healthcare, Economic Assistance, Liability, and Schools (HEALS) Act, fails to include all but one of the disability community’s priorities. The HEALS Act provides a lower extended federal unemployment benefit; funding for schools, child care, and COVID testing; another round of funding for the paycheck protection program; expanded tax credits; and waivers of liability for hospitals, schools, state governments, and businesses. While it would provide a $500 tax rebate for all adult dependents, unfortunately, it does not include The Arc’s other critical priorities: additional home and community based services (HCBS) funding, increased access to personal protective equipment for direct support professionals, or any expansion of paid leave. This framework is a starting point that will be subject to negotiation in the coming weeks.

See a blog post from Nicole Jorwic, The Arc’s Senior Director for Public Policy. We urge you to contact your Senators here.

COVID Relief – Senate Bill Expected Today; Advocacy Still Needed

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Senate Republicans have indicated that they plan to release their proposal for the next round of coronavirus relief spending today. While the details are not yet known, it has been reported that the $1 trillion package may include another round of direct payments to individuals, a lower expanded federal unemployment insurance benefit, and funding for schools and COVID-19 testing. The proposal will be used to begin negotiations on the next package.

The Arc’s priorities for the next package include:

  • Increased federal funding for home and community-based services (HCBS) under Medicaid
  • Increased access to personal protective equipment (PPE) for direct support professionals
  • Expanded eligibility for economic impact payments to adult dependents and another round of payments
  • Paid leave eligibility for family caregivers of adults with disabilities, including siblings and grandparents

See The Arc’s July 7 update here. We urge you to contact your Senators.

Senate Action Needed on Developing A Fourth Coronavirus Package

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The Senate must act to pass legislation that includes the critical needs of people with disabilities, their families, and the direct support professional (DSP) workforce in a new coronavirus package. In May, the House passed its fourth coronavirus package, the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (HEROES) Act (H.R.6800), with a vote of 208-199. The Senate will begin negotiations on their fourth coronavirus package when it returns from recess on July 20.

The Arc’s priorities for the fourth package include:

  • Increased federal funding for home and community based services (HCBS) under Medicaid
  • Increased access to personal protective equipment (PPE) for DSPs
    Expanded eligibility for economic impact payments to adult dependents and another round of payments
  • Paid leave eligibility for family caregivers of adults with disabilities, including siblings and grandparents
     

See The Arc’s July 7 update here. We urge you to contact your Senators here.

Senate Action Needed on Developing a Fourth Coronavirus Package

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The Senate must act to pass legislation that includes the critical needs of people with disabilities, their families, and the direct support professional workforce in a new Coronavirus package. In May, the House passed its fourth coronavirus package, the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (HEROES) Act (H.R.6800) with a vote of 208-199.

This package includes:

  • Increased federal funding for home and community based services (HCBS) under Medicaid
  • Expanded eligibility for economic impact payments to adult dependents and another round of payments
  • Paid leave eligibility for family caregivers of adults with disabilities, including siblings and grandparents

See The Arc’s statement. We urge you to contact your Senators now.

Senate Finance Committee Holds Hearing on 2020 Filing Season and IRS COVID-19 Recovery

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On June 30, the Senate Finance Committee held a hearing titled “2020 Filing Season and IRS COVID-19 Recovery.” The sole witness was Charles P. Rettig, Commissioner, Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Commissioner Rettig stated at the hearing that the IRS would send corrective payments to all non-filers who used the IRS non-filer portal before May 17 but did not receive their economic impact payments. However, non-filers who didn’t use the form will not receive payments. Visit the Committee website for more information or to view archived video of the hearing.

Income Support: Senate to Hold Hearing on Unemployment Insurance During COVID-19

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On June 9, the Senate Committee on Finance will hold a hearing titled Unemployment “Insurance During COVID-19: The CARES Act and the Role of Unemployment Insurance During the Pandemic.” Witnesses will be Labor Secretary Eugene Scalia; Michele Evermore, Senior Policy Analyst, National Employment Law Project; Les Neilly, President, Neilly Canvas Goods Company; State Senator José Javier Rodríguez (D-FL); Scott Sanders, Executive Director National Association of State Workforce Agencies; and Beth Townsend, Director, Iowa Workforce Development. Visit the committee website for more information or to access live video on the day of the hearing.