Kennedy proposes Essential Worker Compensation Fund

As thousands of essential workers battle COVID-19 and hundreds more have died from the virus, Congressman Joe Kennedy III today unveiled the COVID-19 Worker Benefits Program (CWBP) to cover economic losses for workers and provide death benefits for the families of workers who have died. Kennedy’s proposed fund would provide $250,000 and economic loss compensation for any essential worker who died from COVID-19, plus an additional $100,000 for the spouse and each dependent of the victim. For workers who survived the virus, it would distribute benefits based on wage losses and medical costs.