Mike Demicco

For more information about the state's response efforts visit ct.gov/coronavirus. To receive text message notifications, sign up for CTAlert, the state’s emergency alert system. To subscribe, text "COVIDCT" to 888-777.

Access Health CT Waives Requirement for Certain Small Businesses

From furloughing employees to laying off non-essential staff, many small businesses in our community were forced to make tough decisions to offset the economic impact of the pandemic and may no longer qualify for the group health insurance plans outside of the waiver period because they don’t have enough employees who elect to participate. The Employment Participation Waiver Period can provide some relief for small businesses that may be struggling to provide healthcare coverage to their employees.
 
To learn more about how to make health insurance possible for your small business employees, visit AccessHealthCTSmallBiz.com.

Applications for CT's New Paid Family & Medical Leave Program to be Accepted Starting January

I am pleased to announce that Connecticut's landmark Paid Family and Medical Leave Program will start accepting applications for claims of qualifying events on or after January 1, 2022.

Under the program, which the legislature passed in 2019, eligible workers will be able to take up to 12 weeks of time off work for certain qualifying events without losing income.

Connecticut is only the eighth state in the nation to enact a paid family and medical leave program. Currently, only 13% of private-sector workers in the United States have access to paid family and medical leave.

The program is administered by the Connecticut Paid Leave Authority. Applications can be submitted starting in January 2022 through the website at ctpaidleave.org or via email, fax, phone, or mail. The toll-free application hotline is 877-499-8606. 

Qualifying reasons to submit a claim include:
 
• Medical leave for a serious health condition including pregnancy, or serving as a bone marrow or organ donor
• Caregiver leave to care for a family member experiencing a serious health condition
• Bonding leave for a newborn child through birth, adoption, or foster care
• Family violence leave to get medical or psychological care
• Workers caring for injured military family members or a spouse’s military deployment
 
The amount of income replacement varies based on a worker’s earnings and is capped at 60 times the state minimum wage up to $780 per week. The combination of employer-provided benefits and benefits received under the paid leave program cannot exceed 100% of a worker’s normal weekly earnings.
 
For more information about the program, please visit ctpaidleave.org.

Utility Assistance

If you are struggling to pay for electric, water, or other utilities, you can apply for assistance through Operation Fuel. You can also contact your utility agencies about payment plans and ask about getting coded for Hardship or Winter Protection to protect against winter shutoffs. Please click the image above for more specific details and information.

In addition to Operation Fuel, there are other resources available to help reduce the costs of your energy usage, including:

• Visiting EnergizeCT.com, which allows residents to compare electric rates from third-party suppliers and see eligibility for certain rebates;
• Apply for the Connecticut Energy Assistance Program;
• Apply for energy assistance through the UniteCT program