Help is at hand as unemployment is skyrocketing

The government has introduced a financial assistance package aimed at helping businesses and individuals who suffer financially as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

One of the measures of the assistance package is to expand the unemployment benefit services (ALS) to also include employees and self-employed people who go or are advised to go into quarantine.

Employees will also receive supplementary benefits if work hours are reduced as a result of the pandemic.

ALS has no immediate shortage of funds

Despite the unprecedented increase in unemployment, ALS can cushion the fall of all those who will now need financial assistance, assures ALS boss Magni á Deild.

“Ever since our special hotline opened on Monday morning, we have been inundated with queries about the unemployment system,” he says.

But he is keen to point out that employees do not need to contact ALS, as this is the duty of the employer. And a special system has been set up to make this process easier for everyone involved.

Translated by prosa.fo