What new unemployment benefits are available? The measure would add a $300 weekly federal unemployment benefit for those out of work, which is half of what the CARES Act provided to unemployed individuals at the pandemic’s onset. The benefit will be in place for 11 weeks, into March 2021. It will not apply retroactively to those who’ve already been receiving unemployment. A new $100 benefit is available to those who receive traditional wage income, with a W-2 form, and are also self-employed or a gig worker, with a 1099 form. These workers were often denied Pandemic Unemployment Assistance benefits in favor of regular unemployment tied to their traditional jobs, when in fact their gig work may have been their primary source of income, according to CNBC.