Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation
A temporary program that provided additional weeks of emergency benefits for people who remained unemployed after they exhausted their Regular UI benefits
- Up to 53 weeks were available from week ending April 4, 2020 through week ending September 4, 2021. 40 of these weeks could only be paid for December 27, 2020 or later.
Information Required When Filing For Unemployment Insurance Benefits
The following information is needed when filing for UI benefits:
- social security number
- name, payroll address and telephone number of your last employer
- start and end dates of your last job
- whether or not you will receive vacation pay, severance, etc.
- alien registration number
- DD-214 if you served in the U.S. military during the last 18 months
- Verifying your identity by answering security questions
- Standard Form 8 if you worked for the federal government in the last 18 months
- name, date of birth, and social security number of any dependents that are claimed as exemptions on your federal income tax return
- Spouses may be claimed as a dependent if their gross wages were $120.00 or less in the week prior to filing your claim.
- Self-employment does not count as gross wages for dependent purposes.
I Am An Independent Contractor But I Am Only Partially Unemployed Can I Receive Unemployment Benefits
This depends. IDES must determine if your work as an independent contractor is covered under Illinois law, the amount of wages from covered employment you received in the past, and what you are earning currently. You will receive a weekly benefit amount based on your past covered wages. If your current weekly income does not exceed your weekly benefit amount, not including dependent allowance, you may be eligible for benefits for that week. If your income exceeds your weekly benefit amount, then you would not be eligible for benefits for that week.
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Additional Week Request Process
States, territories or District of Columbia submitted the following Lost Wages Additional Week Request documentation to :
States/territories were expected to have already received an initial grant award from FEMA before submitting a Lost Wages Additional Week Request.
States/territories submitted Lost Wages Additional Week Request documentation for one week at a time. No more than one week should have been submitted on each Lost Wages Additional Week Request template. FEMA processed these requests within 3 business days.
- FEMA reviewed requests at the end of each week of eligibility. For example, the earliest FEMA will review a request for a fourth week of additional payments is August 22nd. The earliest FEMA will review a request for a fifth week of additional payments is August 29th. The earliest FEMA will review a request for the sixth week of additional payments is September 5th.
The state/territory did not have to disburse all benefit payments and administrative costs provided in the initial obligation prior to submitting a Lost Wages Additional Week Request.
The Lost Wages Additional Week Request Template asked states/territories to identify any excess Lost Wages Assistance benefit payment funds the state/territory may have received from FEMA in previous obligations.
The SF-424A included with the Lost Wages Additional Week Request documentation should only have included one weeks worth of expenses.
How Long Can I Claim Florida Unemployment Benefits And How Much Will I Get
How long you can receive Florida unemployment benefits varies depending on unemployment rates at the time. As of 2021, the maximum time you can receive benefits is 19 weeks.
Your weekly benefit amount is calculated by dividing your total earnings in the quarter in which you were paid the most by 26. You will then receive this amount per week, or the weekly maximum of $275, whichever is lower. Your total benefit amount is calculated by dividing your base period total by 4, but it cannot exceed the maximum total benefit amount of $5225.
You can choose between two payment options. You can either receive your benefits by direct transfer into your nominated account or via a Way2Go debit card.
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Us Department Of Labor Publishes Guidance On Pandemic Unemployment Assistance
WASHINGTON, DC The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the publication of Unemployment Insurance Program Letter 16-20 providing guidance to states for implementation of the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program. Under PUA, individuals who do not qualify for regular unemployment compensation and are unable to continue working as a result of COVID-19, such as self-employed workers, independent contractors, and gig workers, are eligible for PUA benefits. This provision is contained in Section 2102 of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act Act enacted on March 27, 2020.
PUA provides up to 39 weeks of benefits to qualifying individuals who are otherwise able to work and available for work within the meaning of applicable state law, except that they are unemployed, partially unemployed, or unable or unavailable to work due to COVID-19 related reasons, as defined in the CARES Act. Benefit payments under PUA are retroactive, for weeks of unemployment, partial employment, or inability to work due to COVID-19 reasons starting on or after January 27, 2020. The CARES Act specifies that PUA benefits cannot be paid for weeks of unemployment ending after December 31, 2020.
The UIPL also includes guidance to states about protecting unemployment insurance program integrity. The department is actively working with states to provide benefits only to those who qualify for such benefits.
Search For Financial Assistance From The Government
Benefits.gov is a free website that can help you determine which types of government assistance you might qualify for. You can also find out how and where to apply.
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Using the Benefit Finder, answer questions about yourself and your needs. Afterwards, you can find out if youre eligible for programs to help you pay for:
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Food
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Housing
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Utilities, and other necessities
Check back with Benefits.gov in the future to see if youre eligible for additional benefits. You can report major life events or see if new benefit programs have become available.
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You Were Not Eligible If You:
- Were receiving paid sick leave or other paid leave benefits, including benefits from the Paycheck Protection Program . However, if you were being paid for less than your customary work week you might have been eligible for reduced PUA. Any paid leave you received must have met Disaster Unemployment Assistances income restrictions.
- Could telework with pay. However, if you were working fewer hours than you did before the pandemic you might have been eligible for reduced PUA if you met DUAs income restrictions.
- Were an essential worker and continued to work. Quitting work without good cause in an attempt to get PUA benefits is fraud.
- You and your employment were no longer affected by COVID-19.
I Run A Nonprofit Organization And Am A Reimbursing Employer Under My States Unemployment Insurance Program Due To The Economic Impacts Of The Covid
Contact your state unemployment insurance office to learn what options may be available for delaying reimbursement payments. The CARES Act allows states to provide maximum flexibility to reimbursing employers as it relates to timely payments in lieu of contributions and assessment of penalties and interest. The U.S. Department of Labor will soon be issuing guidance on how states should implement this provision.
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What Is The End Of Benefit Year
The EDD defines your benefit year as the 12 month period after you filed your claim for benefits.
Once your benefit year ends, you are required to apply for a new claim if you are currently on:
- Regular UI
- Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation extension
- Federal-State Extended Duration extension
People on PUA do not need to apply for a new claim .
Once you file for a new claim, the EDD will let you know if you qualify. You will receive an email and text message from the EDD when your new claim is processed. Right now, the EDD says this process is taking two to three weeks.
If you do not qualify for a new claim, the EDD will send you a denial letter. You will then be able to continue with a federal benefits extension that you qualify for.
Protect Yourself From Scams
IWD does not ask for unemployment insurance overpayments to be paid by credit card or gift cards. Individuals who have received an unemployment insurance overpayment will be notified by mail delivered by the U.S. Postal Service.
In addition, IWD does not request sensitive account information through email communications. Individuals filing for unemployment insurance benefits will receive pertinent information regarding their account through the U.S. Postal Service.
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Requesting Extensions To The Period Of Performance Or The Closeout And Liquidation Periods
Upon request, the Period of Performance and the closeout and liquidation periods may be extended. -).
To request an extension to the Period of Performance, the state, territory or the District of Columbia must provide a written request to FEMA providing justification for the extension to include any specific data necessary for the request and the timeframe for the extension request.
- Extensions can be requested for 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 months. No more than 6 months can be requested at a time. If necessary, states, territories, and the District of Columbia can request additional extensions however, no more than 1 year, in total, will be authorized.
- Specific data to justify a Period of Performance extension request could include the number of claims left to pay, number of appeals to be adjudicated, average processing time for appeals and pending claims, total anticipated timeframe to complete processing, etc.
- FEMA will automatically extend the closeout and liquidation periods to end 90 days after the new end date for an approved Period of Performance extension.
Period of Performance extension request letters should be sent to no later than 15 days prior to the end of the Period of Performance. A standard template for requesting a Period of Performance extension is suggested.
What If I Cant Leave My Home Because I Must Care For My Child During The Pandemic Or Because I Have Covid
An individual in any of those situations would be unemployed through no fault of theirown and might be eligible for UI benefits. However, to qualify for UI, theywould still need to meet all other eligibility requirements. For example, the individual must be able and available for work, and show that they are seeking work from home. Individuals can be considered able and available to work if there is some work that they could perform from home .This individual also must prove that they left their job due to their employer. However, there is an exception to the requirement that the reason for leaving is due to the employer. That exception is when an individual quits a job because a licensed and practicing physician deems them unable to perform the work or when their employer is unable to accommodate the individuals need to care for a family member who has been verified to be in poor health or to have a disability.
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If You See A Link To Apply For Benefits
Once your benefit account has expired or the balance has reached $0, you may see a notification at the top of your benefit account home page stating you may apply for an extended benefit account.
A link to apply for benefits will also display. Select the Apply for Benefits link to apply for an extended benefit account.
Depending on what information we need from you, the Apply for Benefits link will either take you to the PEUC application or the regular UI benefit application. Complete the steps below in order to find out if you are eligible for an additional benefit program.
- Keep requesting payments each week while your application is pending.
- It may be up to 10 days before we finish our review of your application.
- After our review is complete, one of two things will happen:
- If you are eligible for PEUC, you will receive an Amended Determination of Benefit Account in the mail. Any pending payments will be made .
- If you are not eligible for PEUC, we will send you an Amended Determination of Benefit Account in the mail online. That determination will include an explanation of why you are not eligible.
When Could An Extension Be Confirmed
The Biden Administration has now confirmed that they wont push at a federal level or via executive order to extend enhanced unemployment programs past the September 6th expiration date.
They are instead encouraging states with high unemployment or hit hard by COVID-19 Delta to use existing ARPA stimulus funding to extend and expand traditional state unemployment benefits for as long as needed. You can see more on this in this video.
States will have to provide guidance on expanded benefits or move to state extended benefit programs prior to early September to ensure a continuation of benefits. So stay tuned as updates come out and I will update on state-by-state basis.
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What Are Unemployment Benefits
Unemployment benefits provide you with temporary income when you lose your job through no fault of your own. The money partly replaces your lost earnings and helps you pay expenses while looking for new work. The benefits, from taxes your former employer paid, are not based on financial need. While you receive benefits, your job is to get back to work as quickly as possible.
The Federal Peuc Program That Extends Unemployment Benefits Ended
If you were getting PEUC benefits, the week ending Sept. 4 is:
- The last payable week for PEUC benefits.
- The last week for the extra $300 per week. By federal law, all claimants except those receiving Training Benefits were getting $300 in addition to their usual weekly benefit amount for a limited time.
If you still need unemployment benefits after Sept. 4
- Continue filing weekly claims if you have an active unemployment claimYou might have weeks available on a regular unemployment claim.
- If you use eServices, youll know you have available weeks if you see a link that says You have a weekly claim to file.
- If you file weekly claims by phone, you will hear an option to file a weekly claim.
Remember: If you have remaining weeks available and youre eligible for those weeks, you will be paid your regular weekly benefit amount. That amount will not include the extra $300 per week from FPUC.
- Apply for a new claimIn eServices, click the Apply for benefits link under Alerts. If you dont have eServices, or if you think you should be eligible and dont see the link, call the Unemployment Claims Center to speak with an agent.
See more information about applying at esd.wa.gov/unemployment.
If you have a claim pending in adjudication or appeal after Sept. 4: Benefits will be available. If we find that you are eligible, we will pay benefits for weeks you claimed through the week ending Sept. 4.
What all claimants should do:
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Your Unemployment Benefit Services Password
When you sign up for online services, you will select a User ID and password. Your password protects your identity and privacy. It has the same legal authority as your signature on a paper document. Do not give your password to anyone, not even to a family member or TWC employee. You are responsible for any payment request made using your User ID and password.
If you have a User ID and password from WorkInTexas.com, use that User ID and password to logon to Unemployment Benefit Services. For more about the password requirements, go to Managing Your Benefits Password & PIN.
How To Apply For Unemployment Benefits
The best and fastest way to apply is online. You can apply by phone, but wait times can be very long. At this time, you cannot apply in person. The steps below will guide you through the process.
Get ready to apply
Before applying, gather information youll need. Visit the Have this information ready webpage or see page 1 of the Unemployed Worker Handbook.
Reasonable accommodation. Information on reasonable accommodation is available for unemployment benefits customers with disabilities.
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Federal And State Extended Benefits
Federal benefits created during the pandemic including PUA, PEUC, and FPUC end Sept. 4. Any funds remaining in your unemployment account related to these federal programs will not be available for certification or payment for weeks of unemployment ending after Sept. 4, 2021, per federal law.
Please note that you will be able to receive benefits for weeks of unemployment ending prior to Sept. 4, per your weekly certification answers. If you are currently in an appeal or adjudication process, or have an appointment scheduled after Sept. 4, please continue to certify weekly, follow instructions and monitor your email.
To learn more about available extensions of or additions to unemployment benefits, see the information below.
How many weeks of unemployment benefits can I currently receive?
Those who meet the requirements for traditional unemployment insurance may receive benefits for up to 26 weeks during a one-year period.
Claimants who are eligible for state extended unemployment benefits will be transitioned to them automatically when federal extended benefits end on September 4, 2021. If you are on state extended unemployment benefits, your claim status will say Extended Unemployment Benefits.
Can I receive the funds in my unemployment account after federal benefits expired?
Why are my benefits for this week less than previous weeks?
What are state extended unemployment benefits ?
How is eligibility for state extended unemployment benefits determined?
