Americans who receive an extra $600 in federal unemployment benefits in addition to state benefits may get an extension after the extra $600 ends next month.
Some unemployed Americans receive a windfall of $1,000 a week when they collect an additional $600 in unemployment benefits on top of state benefits.
The extra $600 was part of the $2.2 trillion stimulus package known as the CARES Act that President Trump signed into law in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Some lawmakers are considering extending the additional $600 in federal benefits next month, but other say the extra $600 creates “a disincentive to return to work.”
There are three proposals on the table for the next round of stimulus funding. Two of the proposals would allow Americans to continue receiving the extra $600 a week.
But one proposal calls for a return-to-work bonus to motivate people to return to work.
Republican Sen. Rob Portman, from Ohio, says extending the $600 weekly benefits past July would be a disincentive to return to work if Americans receive more money than they would if they were working.
The most recent unemployment report shows that 2.5 million Americans went back to work last month — a sign that economies are rebounding as states reopen.
