Sinema’s letter comes as Arizona’s unemployment insurance benefits programs are set to expire the last week of December
WASHINGTON – Arizona senior senator Kyrsten Sinema urged Senate leaders in both parties to extend CARES Act deadlines for unemployment insurance benefits as a part of any end of the year package.
“Extended unemployment insurance is urgently needed so Arizonans can stay in their homes, feed their families, and remain safe and healthy during the coronavirus pandemic,” said Sinema.
The New Century Foundation estimates more than 64,000 Arizonans will lose access to Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) payments and almost 168,000 will lose access to the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program—impacting approximately 232,000 Arizonans and their households.
Sinema’s letter urges deadline extensions for both programs, and requests that both programs get funding for additional weeks. Without a renewal of these programs, 12 million Americans will face an unemployment insurance cliff on December 26, 2020. More than 4 million workers have already exhausted their unemployment insurance benefits and won’t receive any more assistance without Congressional action.
Unemployment insurance benefits help keep Arizona households afloat, prevent utility shut-offs, evictions, food insecurity, and other immediate financial challenges facing Arizona families.
Click HERE to read Sinema’s letter.