HEALS vs HEROES Unemployment Calculator

Compare the proposed HEALS Act and HEROES Act unemployment benefits side by side. Estimate weekly federal supplements and total payments under each plan.

924.4K uses Updated · 2026-05-14 Runs locally · zero upload
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How to Use HEALS vs HEROES Unemployment Calculator

The HEALS vs HEROES Unemployment Calculator helps you compare two 2020 stimulus proposals.

  1. Enter your state weekly benefit — Use the amount your state would pay based on your wages.
  2. Enter your prior weekly wage — Required for the HEALS Act 70% wage replacement comparison.
  3. Set the number of weeks — The calculator multiplies the weekly difference by this number.
  4. Read the side-by-side result — Weekly totals under HEALS and HEROES, the difference, and the cumulative payout gap appear instantly.

Formula & Theory - HEALS vs HEROES Unemployment Calculator

The HEALS vs HEROES Unemployment Calculator is built on three formulas:

HEROES_Weekly = StateBenefit + 600
HEALS_Weekly  = StateBenefit + 200
HEALS_Target  = min(0.70 × PriorWeeklyWage, StateBenefit + Cap)
Difference    = HEROES_Weekly − max(HEALS_Weekly, HEALS_Target)
TotalGap      = Difference × Weeks

The HEROES Act, passed by the House in May 2020, would have extended the CARES Act’s $600 Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) through January 2021. The HEALS Act, introduced by Senate Republicans in July 2020, proposed an initial $200 weekly supplement and then a wage-replacement formula targeting approximately 70% of prior earnings, with state-specific caps.

Neither bill became law; instead, Lost Wages Assistance (a separate executive program) and later relief packages bridged the gap. The HEALS vs HEROES Unemployment Calculator remains a useful tool for retrospective income analysis, civics education, and budget planning during similar future relief proposals.

Use Cases for HEALS vs HEROES Unemployment Calculator

  • Civics and policy education — Students and journalists can quantify the income gap between competing relief proposals.
  • Budget retrospectives — Households can re-examine how their unemployment income would have differed under each plan.
  • Comparative analysis — Researchers can pair the HEALS vs HEROES Unemployment Calculator with state-level wage data.
  • Future negotiations — When new supplements are proposed, the same formula structure (state benefit + federal top-up) can be reused.
  • Press and explainers — Generate quick examples like “A $400/week worker in State X would receive $X less under HEALS than HEROES over 16 weeks.”
  • Personal finance training — Demonstrate how federal supplements interact with state benefits.

The HEALS vs HEROES Unemployment Calculator turns a complex legislative comparison into a clear weekly and cumulative dollar figure.

Frequently asked questions about HEALS vs HEROES Unemployment Calculator

What does the HEALS vs HEROES Unemployment Calculator compare?

It compares the Republican HEALS Act proposal ($200/week federal supplement, transitioning later to 70% wage replacement) with the Democratic HEROES Act proposal ($600/week federal supplement) on top of your state weekly benefit.

Which plan was passed?

Neither was enacted as proposed. Both were 2020 follow-ups to the CARES Act FPUC supplement. This calculator is for retrospective and educational comparison.

How is the wage-replacement variant computed?

Under the HEALS Act, the $200 weekly supplement would have transitioned to a formula targeting 70% wage replacement, capped per worker. The calculator uses your prior weekly wage to estimate that target.

Is my data stored?

No. All calculations happen in your browser; nothing is sent to a server.