From our State Senator, Norm Needleman.
Yesterday, the Connecticut Department of Labor began accepting claim applications for self-employed individuals, many of whom are eligible to collect unemployment insurance benefits under federal pandemic assistance program.
Self-employed individuals, including independent contractors and “gig” workers, are asked to first apply through the state unemployment system located at www.filectui.com. After applying, you should look for emails from the Department of Labor telling you to look for confirmation emails once your claim has been processed. The confirmation emails should be followed by a mailed eligibility determination, otherwise known as a UC-58 Monetary Determination form, arriving in the mail informing you of your eligibility.
If eligible, you can return to www.filectui.com, completing the federal application there. That application will not be available and active on the website until May 4. You will need 2019 IRS forms, 1099s, W-2s and Schedule Cs, and will also be asked to provide quarterly earnings in 2019, to complete that application. For more information, please visit this link.
New Website Tracking Unemployment Data
The Connecticut Department of Labor launched a website that contains detailed information about people who have filed for unemployment in the state by age, industry, gender and town. This public release is intended to provide town, city and state governments with information for planning and budgeting for the future, as well as responsible strategies for reopening parts of the state. The information included in it for April is preliminary due to a large number of claims being processed, but all other information is detailed and thorough.
Town-By-Town Data
If you need the latest information regarding the COVID-19 pandemic and its impacts in Connecticut, please visit portal.ct.gov/coronavirus. This web portal contains fast, easily explained information about executive orders and guidelines in place to protect the public, infection data divided by county, town and age, and frequently asked questions about Connecticut’s response to the pandemic.
Rainy Day Fund
While the state is not immune from the severe financial impact of COVID-19, we can rest assured that Connecticut is in a better position to overcome this situation than the majority of states. New analysis from The Pew Charitable Trusts shows that Connecticut’s rainy day fund, at about $2.5 billion representing 13 percent of state spending, could keep the state afloat on its own for 47 days, more than a month and a half. That’s well above an average median nationwide of just 28 days and bodes well for the state’s efforts to limit the financial impact of COVID-19. There is a lot of work left to do, but our state is among the best-prepared in the country to weather this storm.
Live Conversation About Public Benefit Access During COVID-19
Greater Hartford Legal Aid Managing Attorney Sue Garten will join Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence Director of Member Organization Services on Wednesday, May 6 for an online conversation about access to public benefits during COVID-19. The discussion, which will begin at 2 p.m. that day, will cover topics including unemployment insurance, housing stability and evictions, and access to food and medical benefits. Attorney Garten will outline COVID-19 related expansions and extensions of benefits, as well as the process of obtaining those benefits via the phone or internet. The conversation, which is open to survivors, advocates, social workers and other interested parties, will be live May 6 on Facebook or through Zoom.
Neighbors to Neighbors Fund
The Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut, United Way of Southeastern Connecticut and United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut are seeking applications and proposals for the Neighbors to Neighbors Fund, which provides grants available to organizations serving the needs and residents of the Foundation’s 42-town region. This fund addresses critical gaps in services during difficult times, and is designed to be flexible and nimble in supporting the work of nonprofits and others to meet residents’ basic needs, serving as a complement to federal, state and municipal government relief efforts. Aid will first be directed to organizations providing direct assistance to high-need and vulnerable populations to address immediate basic needs.
Entities in the following towns are eligible to apply: Ashford, Bozrah, Brooklyn, Canterbury, Chaplin, Colchester, Columbia, Coventry, Eastford, East Lyme, Franklin, Griswold, Groton, Hampton, Killingly, Lebanon, Ledyard, Lisbon, Lyme, Mansfield, Montville, New London, North Stonington, Norwich, Old Lyme, Plainfield, Pomfret, Preston, Putnam, Salem, Scotland, Sprague, Stafford, Sterling, Stonington, Thompson, Union, Voluntown, Waterford, Willington, Windham and Woodstock.
501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, community organizations using fiscal agents, faith-based institutions serving the broader community and schools, municipal agencies and other institutions are eligible; the fund does not make grants directly to individuals.
The application deadline is 5 p.m. on Friday, May 8. For more information and to apply, please visit this link.
