Senator John DiSanto of Pennsylvania’s 15th District (Dauphin and Perry Counties) provides information for COVID-19 employee assistance programs. This information comes from Senator’s latest COVID-update.

Assistance Available for Employees Affected by COVID-19

Pennsylvanians who are unable to work because of the COVID-19 coronavirus may be eligible for Unemployment or Workers’ Compensation benefits.

Unemployment Compensation is available for employees whose employer temporarily closes, goes out of business due to COVID-19 or reduces hours due to COVID-19. Eligibility is also extended to employees who are told not to work, have been told to self-isolate or quarantine to prevent the spread of the virus.

UC call centers are experiencing extremely high call volumes, so claimants are encouraged to get help by email at uchelp@pa.gov, or via UC LiveChat.

Employees who have been exposed to COVID-19 in their workplace could also be eligible for Workers’ Compensation.

More details about benefits for affected employees are available here.

Emergency Food Assistance Available During Coronavirus Mitigation

Individuals who are out of work due to the coronavirus can seek emergency food assistance at local food banks. Many food banks, pantries, shelters and soup kitchens are offering special drive-through services to limit close personal contact.

A list of food banks and additional guidance from the Department of Agriculture is available here.

Many schools are continuing to offer meals for students. More information on how schools are adjusting to mitigation efforts is available here.

If you need more information on COVID-19 employee assistance programs, please contact Rock the Capital directly. Readers may also be interested in our “Get Help” listings for food assistance programs.

For further updates on COVID-19 and other critical issues affecting our state, please visit our home page.