HEALS Act Unemployment Benefit Calculator (US)
Estimate HEALS Act unemployment benefits with the $200/week federal supplement. Calculate total weekly and monthly benefits for US claimants with charts.
About This Calculator
The HEALS Act (Health, Economic Assistance, Liability Protection and Schools Act) was a $1 trillion economic stimulus bill proposed by Senate Republicans in July 2020 as a follow-up to the CARES Act. A key provision was a $200 per week federal unemployment supplement, reduced from the $600 per week in the CARES Act. The bill was unveiled on July 27, 2020 by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell but ultimately never became law due to political disagreements between Republicans and Democrats over the size and scope of additional pandemic relief.
This calculator estimates the total unemployment benefits a claimant would have received under the HEALS Act proposal. Simply enter your state weekly unemployment benefit amount to see the total weekly benefit (state + $200 federal supplement) and the estimated monthly benefit using the standard 52/12 conversion (multiplying the weekly total by 52 weeks and dividing by 12 months). The calculator also provides a visual breakdown showing the proportion of total benefits coming from state versus federal sources.
State unemployment insurance (UI) benefits vary widely across the United States. Each state sets its own benefit formula, maximum weekly amount, and duration of benefits based on the claimant's prior wages and employment history. In 2020, the average weekly state UI benefit was approximately $350, ranging from a low of around $215 in Mississippi to a high of $823 in Massachusetts. The HEALS Act supplement would have been added uniformly on top of these varying state amounts, regardless of which state the claimant lived in.
The HEALS Act proposed the $200 supplement from August through October 2020, transitioning to a wage-replacement system paying 70% of lost wages (up to a cap) through December 2020. This calculator models the flat $200 supplement period, which was the most straightforward part of the proposal. The HEALS Act was part of a series of COVID-19 relief proposals that included the CARES Act (March 2020, $600/week supplement), the HEROES Act (May 2020, $600/week extension proposed by House Democrats), and eventually the December 2020 stimulus package and the American Rescue Plan (March 2021, $300/week supplement).
Regional Notes
United States (US): This calculator is US-specific and uses USD ($). The HEALS Act was a federal proposal affecting all US states and territories. State unemployment benefit amounts differ by jurisdiction, so users should enter their specific state benefit amount for accurate results.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the HEALS Act federal unemployment supplement?
The HEALS Act, proposed in July 2020 by Senate Republicans, included a $200 per week federal unemployment supplement. This was a reduction from the CARES Act's $600 per week supplement and was intended to run through December 2020 while transitioning to a wage-replacement structure.
Did the HEALS Act become law?
No, the HEALS Act was proposed but never enacted into law. It was introduced as a Republican counter-proposal to the Democratic HEROES Act. Neither bill passed as proposed, though elements were later incorporated into the December 2020 stimulus package.
How does this calculator work?
Enter your state weekly unemployment benefit amount. The calculator adds the HEALS Act proposed $200 federal supplement to compute the total weekly benefit, then multiplies by 52/12 to estimate the total monthly benefit. Results are shown with a state vs federal breakdown chart.
What was the average state unemployment benefit in 2020?
The average weekly state unemployment benefit in the US was approximately $350 in 2020, though amounts varied significantly by state. Mississippi paid around $215 per week while Massachusetts paid up to $823. The HEALS Act $200 supplement would have been added on top of these state amounts.
How does the HEALS Act compare to the CARES Act supplement?
The CARES Act (March 2020) provided a $600 per week federal supplement on top of state unemployment benefits. The HEALS Act proposal reduced this to $200 per week, a 67% reduction. The CARES Act supplement expired on July 31, 2020, which is when the HEALS Act was proposed as a replacement.
Is this calculator relevant today?
While the HEALS Act was a 2020 proposal that never passed, this calculator remains useful for understanding how proposed federal unemployment supplements would have impacted total benefits. It serves as an educational tool for policymakers, students, and anyone studying COVID-19 economic relief proposals.
What was the maximum weekly benefit under the HEALS Act?
There was no federal maximum for the $200 supplement itself, but individual states set their own maximum weekly benefit amounts. In 2020, the highest state maximum was Massachusetts at $823 per week, meaning a total of $1,023 per week with the HEALS supplement. The lowest state maximum was Mississippi at $235 per week for a total of $435 per week with the supplement.
How was the HEALS Act supplement different from state unemployment benefits?
State unemployment benefits are calculated based on prior wages and vary significantly by state, funded by employer payroll taxes. The HEALS Act proposed a flat $200 per week federal supplement on top of state benefits, funded by the federal government through the stimulus package. The federal supplement was the same amount regardless of which state the claimant lived in.