Abilene, TX – According to the officials, jobless Texans who refuse work offers because they feel like the job isn’t safe during the pandemic won’t be able to receive unemployment benefits as of June 26.
Special pandemic guidelines have allowed some out-of-work people to decline a job if it doesn’t have proper COVID-19 health or safety protocols — and still qualify for unemployment benefits.
Starting June 26, jobless Texans will lose access to a $300-per-week supplemental benefit through the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation program.
In addition, Abbott cut off a lifeline called Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, which extends unemployment aid to gig workers, self-employed people and others who don’t traditionally receive unemployment benefits.
As of April 30, approximately 344,000 Texans were receiving these PUA benefits, according to data compiled by economist Julia Coronado, economics professor at the University of Texas at Austin.
President Joe Biden signed an executive order in January clarifying that the PUA program extends to those who refuse a job because of COVID safety concerns.
