Unemployment Benefit Calculator - HEALS vs. HEROES
Print| HEALS Act Weekly Benefit (Base + $200) | $0.00 / wk |
| HEROES Act Weekly Benefit (Base + $600) | $0.00 / wk |
Compare Congressional legislative proposals for federal unemployment insurance extensions side-by-side. Use this Unemployment Benefit Calculator – HEALS Act vs. HEROES Act to compute your weekly benefit payout under the House $600 extension proposal versus the Senate $200 flat / 70% wage replacement proposal.
The Formula for Proposed Unemployment Extensions
Calculating weekly unemployment compensation under competing legislative frameworks required comparing flat federal supplements against wage replacement percentage caps:
HEROES Act Weekly Benefit = State Weekly Benefit Amount (WBA) + $600 (Flat Extension)
HEALS Act Phase 1 Weekly Benefit (Aug - Sept) = State WBA + $200 (Flat Supplement)
HEALS Act Phase 2 Weekly Benefit (Oct Onward) = Min(State Cap, Prior Weekly Wage × 0.70)
HEALS Federal Supplement (Phase 2) = Max(0, (Prior Weekly Wage × 0.70) - State WBA) [Capped at $500]
Where:
- HEROES Act Proposal: Extended the full $600/week FPUC supplement through January 2021.
- HEALS Act Proposal (Phase 1): Reduced supplement to $200/week flat through September 2020.
- HEALS Act Proposal (Phase 2): Capped total unemployment (state WBA + federal supplement) at 70% of prior lost wages (federal supplement max $500/wk).
HEALS Act vs. HEROES Act Unemployment Proposal Matrix
Refer to the lookup table below for weekly benefit comparisons across prior wage levels under the competing proposals (assuming a $350 average state WBA):
| Prior Weekly Wage (Gross) | State WBA (Avg) | HEROES Act Total ($600 Flat) | HEALS Act Phase 1 ($200 Flat) | HEALS Act Phase 2 (70% Wage Cap) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $500 / week ($26k/yr) | $250 / week | $850 / week (170% replacement) | $450 / week (90% replacement) | $350 / week ($100 supp, 70% cap) |
| $800 / week ($41.6k/yr) | $350 / week | $950 / week (118% replacement) | $550 / week (68% replacement) | $560 / week ($210 supp, 70% cap) |
| $1,200 / week ($62.4k/yr) | $450 / week | $1,050 / week (87% replacement) | $650 / week (54% replacement) | $840 / week ($390 supp, 70% cap) |
| $1,600 / week ($83.2k/yr) | $500 / week | $1,100 / week (68% replacement) | $700 / week (43% replacement) | $1,000 / week ($500 supp, 70% cap) |
Step-by-Step Proposal Comparison Example
Consider a worker earning $1,000 weekly ($52,000 annually) who receives a $400 state weekly benefit amount (WBA):
- Calculate HEROES Act Benefit: $400 state WBA + $600 flat extension = $1,000 weekly payout (100% wage replacement).
- Calculate HEALS Act Phase 1 ($200 Flat): $400 state WBA + $200 flat supplement = $600 weekly payout (60% wage replacement).
- Calculate HEALS Act Phase 2 (70% Wage Replacement): Target total = 70% of $1,000 prior wage = $700 total weekly payout.
- Calculate HEALS Phase 2 Federal Supplement: $700 target – $400 state WBA = $300 federal supplement. Net weekly payout = $700/week.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did the HEALS Act propose a 70% wage replacement cap?
Proponents of the HEALS Act argued that the original $600 FPUC supplement resulted in over 60% of unemployed workers earning more on unemployment than at their previous jobs, proposing a 70% wage replacement cap to incentivize re-entering the workforce.
Why was implementing a 70% wage replacement cap difficult for state systems?
State unemployment agencies reported that their legacy IT systems were incapable of processing individual wage replacement formulas quickly, which would cause months of payment delays for unemployed workers.
Did either the HEROES Act or HEALS Act unemployment proposal pass?
Neither proposal passed in its original form. President Trump issued an executive memorandum creating the Lost Wages Assistance (LWA) program ($300/week), and Congress later passed $300/week FPUC extensions under the $900 Billion Bill and American Rescue Plan.
How did the 70% wage replacement cap impact low-wage workers?
For low-wage workers, a 70% wage replacement cap significantly reduced total weekly income compared to the flat $600 FPUC supplement, dropping weekly payments below basic cost-of-living requirements.