Jobless Benefit for Family Caregivers Advanced
Nebraska residents who stop working temporarily to care for a family member with a serious health condition could claim unemployment benefits under a bill that lawmakers advanced April 6.
Lawmakers gave the measure first-round approval to Legislative Bill 260 by a 27-11 vote.
The proposal by Sen. Megan Hunt of Omaha would allow workers to collect benefits if they left a job due to family caregiving needs but are planning to return to work.
Hunt said the bill will help caregivers who might otherwise struggle financially while caring for a loved one and will help the state avoid costly long-term care services in cases where no one else is available to take care of the person with a health condition.
“Providing this temporary safety net will allow caregivers some security while they attempt to reenter the workforce,” Hunt said.
Some senators objected to the cost. The Nebraska Department of Labor estimates that, based on 2020 data, the state will pay out $749,927 in unemployment benefits each year. Hunt argued that 2020 is a bad year to use as a measurement because of the coronavirus pandemic, which left many people severely ill and caused unemployment to surge.
Columbus Sen. Mike Moser said it would strain the finite resources of the Nebraska Unemployment Trust Fund.
“Either the state will have to pay in to keep it solvent or they will have to raise rates on all employers,” Moser said.
This report contains material from the Unicameral Information Office.
User login
Omaha Daily Record
The Daily Record
222 South 72nd Street, Suite 302
Omaha, Nebraska
68114
United States
Tele (402) 345-1303
Fax (402) 345-2351