Essential workers in CT could see $233 bonuses, not $1,000

Nursing home staff, grocery store workers and others who kept essential services running during the pandemic would receive bonuses of about $233 each — not even one-quarter of the $1,000 state officials dangled before them — based on new calculations released Wednesday by state Comptroller-elect Sean Scanlon and by Comptroller Natalie Braswell.

Scanlon also renewed his call to provide the full bonuses, reporting it would cost at least an extra $99 million to keep what effectively amounted to a promise to remember and reward private-sector workers who risked their lives when the coronavirus struck in 2020.

“I think it’s been obvious to everyone for months that there was not enough money and that there was more interest in the program than everyone anticipated,” said Scanlon, a state representative who was elected earlier this month to his first term as comptroller — and who will have to administer the Premium Pay program after he takes office on Jan. 4. He made his announcement at Hartford Hospital, where many health care workers sought pandemic bonuses.

“The comptroller’s office is in the untenable position of having to pro-rate a check to somebody who literally risked their life for our state,” Scanlon said, adding it all would be done “for an amount of money that I personally find to be unacceptable.”

More than 248,000 workers submitted applications, though only about 207,000 were completed. Out of those, 134,010 were approved, according to the comptroller’s office.

More than eight out of 10 approved applications, 108,838 in total, came from workers who earned less than $100,000 annually — and therefore were supposed to receive the maximum grant of $1,000.

About 12,500 more came from individuals who earned between $100,000 and $150,000. They were eligible for grants ranging from $800 to $200, but — unless more resources are added to the program — will be pro-rated downward to as little as $46.

Close to 12,000 parttimers applied for a grant of $500. That would be reduced to $116.

Payments are supposed to be issued in January.

“Since this program launched, my staff and I have heard from countless essential workers who are in need of financial support,” said Braswell, who has been comptroller for the past year since her predecessor, Democrat Kevin P. Lembo, retired for health reasons. “The initial approval numbers show the scale of that need, with tens of thousands of front-line workers meeting the criteria for assistance. I encourage lawmakers to explore all opportunities to expand funding for the program and deliver as much help as possible to those who sacrificed on our behalf during the pandemic.”

Even as Gov. Ned Lamont and the General Assembly approved the program in May, labor advocates warned the $30 million budget they assigned to it was woefully inadequate.

Up to 5% of the $30 million program budget was earmarked for marketing and administrative costs, leaving $28.5 million for grants. By simple math, the program could not deliver more than 28,500 grants of $1,000 each.

The legislature’s Labor Committee had recommended a $750 million program that was expected to provide hundreds of thousands of public- and private-sector workers with grants up to $2,000 per person. But that idea lacked support from Lamont and from the full legislature.

Unionized state employees are taking the Lamont administration to arbitration on Dec. 16 to argue for special pandemic bonuses.