CONCORD, N.H. -- A court hearing this week will determine whether thousands of Granite Staters can access some federal unemployment benefits that Gov. Chris Sununu cut off early.

Four people who were receiving Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) prior to the June 19 cutoff are plaintiffs in a lawsuit filed last week to reinstate the benefit.

Stephanie McKay, moderator of a Facebook groups called NH Unemployment During COVID-19, said if people were able to file back claims for the past three months since the cutoff, it would make a big difference, even though the program is ending at the federal level this week.

"The unemployed are being villainized," McKay contended. "They're being told you're lazy, you get a job. And I can assure you that the people that were relying on unemployment actually need it. They're struggling to keep up with just day-to-day expenses and looking for work and not finding it."

While New Hampshire was among the states that cut off benefits early in an effort to get people back into the workforce, studies so far have shown no increase in employment.

While the state cut off all the emergency federal benefits, this lawsuit is specifically regarding PUA.

McKay pointed out there is a lot of frustration for people who have not been able to find child care, or work that pays well enough to cover their expenses.

"It's hard for them to take a lower-paying job, or two or three lower-paying jobs, and still not be able to pay the bills," McKay explained. "[The] cost of living in New Hampshire is astronomical."

Mike Perez, attorney for the plaintiffs, said providing retroactive PUA payments would not cost the state anything; it is fully funded by the CARES Act, including administrative costs.

He noted what makes PUA unique is it was specifically created to help people struggling during the pandemic who otherwise wouldn't qualify for unemployment insurance.

"So these are people who are self-employed, gig workers, independent contractors, or people who started a job soon before the beginning of the shutdown, and then stopped working but hadn't been at the job long enough to qualify for typical unemployment insurance," Perez outlined.

He encouraged Granite Staters who were relying on PUA to keep an eye out for the decision, and be ready to file back claims. The suit follows similar cases in other states that cut off benefits early, some of which already have resulted in court orders telling the state to reinstate the program.

With chants of "We are the swing vote," poor and low-wage workers gathered in Washington, D.C., recently to rally and strategize ahead of the election.

The Poor People's Campaign describes itself as "a national call for moral revival," and advocates for a so-called "Third Reconstruction" which would address the crisis of poverty. Leaders cited research showing poverty is the fourth-leading cause of death nationwide.

William J. Barber II, co-chair of the Poor People's Campaign, said with more than 140 million poor and low-wage workers in the nation, empowering the group to vote is critical.

"Poor people make up 30% of the electorate now, 40% in every battleground state," Barber pointed out. "Poor people and low-wage workers are the largest swing vote in the country. Every state where the margin of victory was within 3%, poor and low-wage voters make up over 43% of the electorate."

The Campaign estimated low-income Marylanders account for about 21% of the electorate.

The rally included religious leaders, workers, and representatives of organized labor from across the nation. The Campaign believes all workers should have the right to join unions and receive equal pay for equal work. Unfair pay was highlighted by members of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA.

London Lester, a flight attendant for PSA Airlines and a member of the union, said the big carriers use subsidiaries to avoid paying fair wages.

"Most of you probably don't recognize my airline, PSA, when you fly. We fly the smaller planes under the American Eagle brand, and we're owned by American Airlines," Lester pointed out. "We wear the same uniforms, we do the same work but our corporate bosses have created 'tiers' between regional and mainline, so that they can pay a huge part of the workforce poverty wages."

While Maryland has raised the state minimum wage to $15 an hour, the living wage in the state is estimated to be $24 an hour for one person, and nearly $42 an hour for an adult with one child.

Some Missouri nonprofit groups have teamed up to help those in need in the rural southeastern part of the state.

Many households in these communities struggle to pay their electric bills, as poverty rates are 10% higher than the state average. The local electric utility provider has been criticized for not doing more to help alleviate the financial burden. In response, Renew Missouri is partnering with churches and other nonprofits to help people get signed up for state and federal energy assistance programs.

Jessica Polk Sentell, eastern director for Renew Missouri, works with the Ministerial Alliance at its food banks.

"I have been there with some literature and educational materials," Polk Sentell explained. "To help bring some education and some visibility and some outreach, to these programs that help people pay their energy bills."

She pointed out Renew Missouri's mission is to advance renewable energy and energy efficiency in the state. To be eligible for assistance, you must be a Missouri resident, a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident. You must have no more than $3,000 in bank or retirement accounts, or investments and meet the income guidelines for your household size.

Brian Abbott, pastor of Trinity United Methodist Church in Piedmont, also serves as president of the local Ministerial Alliance. He said there are many people coming in for help and while they do their best with food banks and food trucks, it is a growing challenge.

"We don't have the resources, coming out of COVID and a lot of other things that have gone on in the last five years or so in the economy," Abbott emphasized. "It's really left a gap there for us, you know. We're telling a lot of people, 'We understand you may have a shut-off notice, but we just don't have the funds to help with that.'"

The Renew Missouri initiative is also bringing relief to under-resourced Community Action Agencies, which often struggle to connect households with resources to help pay their energy bills.


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A Legislature-backed Commission on Poverty in Massachusetts aims to address the state's historic wealth gap.

The commission will study demographic disparities and existing programs to reduce poverty over the next decade, and has been holding public hearings to gather feedback.

State Sen. Sal DiDomenico - D-Everett - said Massachusetts has the highest median wage for workers in the nation, but one of the greatest gaps between wealthy and low-income individuals.

"So we know we have much work to be done in this commission," said DiDomenico, "to bring more equity to the table when it comes to residents across the Commonwealth."

DiDomenico said it's unacceptable that roughly 70,000 Massachusetts children live in what's considered "deep poverty" - or 50% below the federal poverty level.

He said efforts to undo those numbers should be a top legislative priority.

Sixty years after the launch of President Lyndon Johnson's "War on Poverty," community action agencies in Massachusetts say data reveal which policies are most effective.

Expanded tax credits and stimulus payments were shown to help cut childhood poverty in half during the pandemic, and efforts continue to grow guaranteed basic income programs.

Laura Meisenhelter is board president of the Massachusetts Association for Community Action (MASSCAP), a coalition of more than twenty community action agencies.

She said they're responding to local needs while working for systemic change.

"We confirmed," said Meisenhelter, "both large and small changes to public policy and programs and practices can have an enormous impact."

Meisenhelter said agency staff visit clients at nursing homes, aid parents in buying Christmas gifts, and help ensure that people's basic needs such as food, clothing and diapers are met.

She said that need is increasing as the poverty line set decades ago has not kept pace with the increasing standard of living.

The Commission on Poverty's next public hearing will take place later this year in the Fall River and New Bedford area.