When Will I Get My Extra 300 Unemployment

What Happens If My Work Fluctuates

COVID has complicated things for some workers. With lockdowns and restrictions varying, you may be called back to work, only to be laid off again a few weeks later. But if youre receiving unemployment benefits, you may need to reach out and let your unemployment office know. In some states, you simply have to stop certifying every week and your benefits will expire.

If youre called back to work and laid off again, there is some good news when it comes to unemployment benefits. You can pick up your unemployment benefits where you left off. This includes the extra benefits youre receiving. Youll continue to get benefits until youve exhausted the number of weeks youre eligible to receive them or you reach the cutoff date.

How Do I Get A Chip Debit Card

Bank of America is sending chip cards to new claimants starting July 25, 2021. If you already have a debit card, it will be replaced with a chip card when it expires.

If your card has been lost or stolen, you must contact Bank of America at 1-866-692-9374 .

If your card is damaged, you can order a replacement card online by visiting the Bank of America debit card website.

Eligibility: Who Qualifies For The Extra $300 Unemployment Benefit

To be eligible for the $300 a week benefit, you need to be receiving unemployment benefits from any of these programs:

• Unemployment compensation, including regular State Unemployment Compensation, Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees , and Unemployment Compensation for Ex-Service members
• Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation
• Pandemic Unemployment Assistance
• Mixed Earner Unemployment Compensation
• Payments under the Self-Employment Assistance program.

Low-wage, part-time or seasonal workers may fail to qualify for the extra $300.

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Lost Wages Assistance State Payment Date And Status

What if my state has started making payments, but I dont see my $300?

Claimants in most states do not need to take any action to receive the new benefits available in this program. The additional benefits will be added automatically for all claimants who are eligible and have certified for the relevant week. Their self-certification will ask them to confirm they were unemployed or partially unemployed due to COVID-19. See more FAQs on this here.

However if your state has started making payments and you havent received payments you need to first confirm you are eligible. This means you must be receiving at least $100 in weekly unemployment benefit payments . This includes claimants receiving any type of regular unemployment insurance benefits as well as those receiving PUA and PEUC benefits.

I got my $900 back payment but no payments after that. Why?

Can I Still Apply For Unemployment Insurance

Each state handles and regulates its unemployment benefits differently, so whether or not you qualify for unemployment will depend on a variety of factors in your state. According to the Department of Labor, there are three general criteria to be eligible for unemployment benefits:

• Youre unemployed through no fault of your own. In most states, this means you can only receive unemployment benefits if theres a lack of available work not if you voluntarily quit or are fired from your job.
• You have to meet hour and/or wage requirements. Each state has its own guidelines for the amount wages earned or hours worked before you can qualify for unemployment.
• You meet any additional requirements in your state. Additional unemployment requirements can vary significantly depending on where you live.

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Unemployment Relief For The Self

What about the many unemployed Americans who work for themselves? The Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program is designed to issue $300 weekly payments to the many contract workers that are having a tough time finding work. Those include freelancers, part-time workers, gig workers, and other independent contractors who arent usually eligible for unemployment.

If you qualify for PUA, youll need to apply through your states unemployment office. Be prepared to submit documentation verifying that youre eligible for assistance. To qualify, you need to be able to demonstrate that you are self-employed. This verification could include documents like tax returns, a business license, or client invoices.

Unemployed workers who combine freelance work with a W-2 job could qualify for an additional $100 each week. If you think you meet the qualifications, contact your state unemployment office for instructions.

Ui Back Payments With End Of Extended Unemployment Programs

With the expiry of federal enhanced unemployment benefit programs like PUA, PEUC, $300 FPUC and $100 MEUC after September 6th 2021 in all states, there have been a lot of questions around what happens with ongoing, new and past payments.

Ongoing and new weekly payments will end after September 6th . This means a cessation of federal pandemic unemployment benefits for 8 million+ jobless or under-employed claimants which that will result in them losing all current and future benefits under the PUA, PEUC or supplementary $300 FPUC programs.

States like New Jersey and California, have already stated that validated claims after a successful determination or appeal for eligible weeks would be paid out over the next several weeks. Note, per the sections below, that back payments are limited to the program extension coverage periods.

Eligible Claimants should continue to certify for benefits for weeks they are owed unemployment. Any weeks of unemployment that occurred before these programs expire can still be paid retroactively if a claimant is later determined to be eligible for those weeks of benefits. Check your state unemployment website for more details on certifying for retroactive back payments.

Handling of Retroactive Unemployment Benefits

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How Do States Handle Unemployment Payments

Most states provide up to 26 weeks of funding, though others, such as Georgia, limited benefits to 12 weeks. On the other hand, Delaware extended benefits for up to 30 weeks.

The weekly benefit amount depends on an applicant’s gross income when employed and ranges between $300 and $600, with some exceptions. Mississippi had paid up to $235, while Massachusetts’ maximum has been $1,220. Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation from the CARES Act added an additional 13 weeks funded by the federal government, but another stimulus bill with unemployment insurance would need to pass in order to extend it further. The latest COVID-19 relief package would add another 11 weeks of PEUC.

Federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance

• FPUC is a $300 weekly supplement for all individuals receiving unemployment benefit payments. In Arizona, eligible claimants will receive FPUC through benefit week ending July 10, 2021.
• To receive FPUC, a claimant must receive benefits from an underlying unemployment program such as regular UI, PUA, or PEUC.

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Which Federal Unemployment Programs Expired

At the very start of the pandemic, the March 2020 CARES Act established temporary federal unemployment aid programs to help those who lost their jobs due to COVID-19. The American Rescue Plan in March 2021 extended the emergency programs to last until Labor Day this year.

The first program was Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation, the weekly bonus $600 per week at first, then $300 per week that helped out-of-work Americans supplement benefits and recover some lost wages. Another was Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation, or PEUC, which extended aid to those who had already exhausted their states benefits period . The other was Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, or PUA, which covered self-employed workers and freelancers not typically eligible for aid.

A later stimulus package created another program called Mixed Earners Unemployment Compensation, which offered $100 per week extra for those workers whose labor was split between being an employee and an independent contractor.

How Far Back Can I Claim The Retroactive Unemployment Benefits

As discussed in this article, the new $300 FPUC payment for 2021 will only beretroactive to the start date of the new program coverage period in the same manner as previous supplementary UI benefit programs. This means that back payments for the new $300 FPUC are not payable retroactively for any week prior to December 27th, 2020 or March 14th , even if you were getting PUA and PEUC for the last several months.

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How Do The $300 Unemployment Benefits Work

Anyone getting state unemployment has been getting the federal money since the CARES Act passed in March of 2020. But the federal bonus was $600 in that original COVID-19 relief package.

That expired in July of 2020 and was replaced by a $300-a-week federal bonus. President Donald Trump signed a bill in December that extended that program through March 14, 2021.

ARPA essentially picks up where the last bill left off. As with the previous benefits, you must be unemployed because of COVID-19 and, depending on where you live, you may need to complete regular work search requirements to remain eligible.

You need to apply for the extra benefits through your states website. That has proven a challenge in many states where antiquated computer systems were overwhelmed and started wheezing like a 1988 Chrysler LeBaron with 593,842 miles on the odometer.

Those problems have been mostly resolved, though a little patience might still be called for. New applicants will need to provide income and unemployment records.

ARPA allocated $300 billion for unemployment payments, but the Labor Department warned it might take a few weeks for states to tweak their computer systems to account for the extension.

The period between March 14 and Sept. 6 spans 25 weeks. If the payments were to pick up immediately, thats $7,500 extra in federal money for individuals. ARPA also increased the maximum period of benefits from 50 weeks to 79 weeks.

Will I Get My Retroactive Or Back Payments If My States End Benefits Early

With many states ending their participation in the federally funded unemployment programs several weeks earlier than the September 6th end date, a lot of claimants who have had delays or issues with their claims getting paid were naturally worried if they would get back payments. The answer is Yes. Because the funds are allocated at a federal level, the state unemployment agencies are obligated to pay any eligible new or existing claim payments prior to the end date of the states participation in the program.

States had to provide 30 days notice to the US DOL prior to ending the PUA, PEUC, $300 FPUC programs. This also requires them to ensure retroactive payments are made on claims prior to this notice period. After the states termination date no new or active claim payments will be made. Not surprisingly many states are still struggling with large backlogs and fraudulent claims, so it is expected it could take several weeks for some states to make back payments for eligible weeks.

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Approved Weeks Of The Program

Applications approved: weeks ending Aug. 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 and Sept. 5, 2020.

If you were eligible for any of the approved weeks, you will receive the extra $300 retroactively for those weeks.

Washington state applied and was approved for all weeks available from the federal government. The Federal Emergency Management Agency is not funding any weeks beyond the week ending Sept. 5, 2020.

What Is Mixed Earner Unemployment Compensation And Do I Qualify

The original CARES Act had unemployed workers either get their benefits from the state through unemployment insurance or through a federal program called Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, or PUA. Someone who was self-employed or who worked as a gig worker, freelancer or contractor who doesn’t typically receive unemployment benefits after being laid off could receive PUA instead.

In the language of the new bill, however, someone who earned a combination of income from a traditional job and employment as a contractor would either receive the unemployment insurance payment or the PUA, but not a combination of both.

With Mixed Earner Unemployment Compensation, a person who made more money from self-employment or a contracting job — that requires a 1099 form — could receive an extra $100 a week. For example, let’s say you made $50,000 in 2019, which was split with $30,000 coming from a contractor job and $20,000 from a part-time job at a company. If you were laid off, the state unemployment office would calculate whether you’d receive benefits for the $30,000 via PUA or $20,000 via unemployment insurance but not a combination of the two.

Though someone who works a traditional job and makes $50,000 a year in New York would receive $480 a week from unemployment insurance, by having a mix of the two, you’d get the greater of the two different amounts, which would be the PUA of $288 a week rather than the $280 from unemployment.

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President Trump Signed A $900 Billion Coronavirus Relief Bill On Sunday Night

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Help is on the way for people worriedly watching their unemployment benefits dwindle but now the question is precisely when that next wave of money hits bank accounts.

Two days after President Trump put aside his misgivings to sign a $900 billion coronavirus relief bill that he days earlier called a disgrace, unemployment-benefit experts are trying to nail down new questions that are technical in nature, but critical for millions.

These are things like how federal and state labor agencies interpret bill language on effective dates and how quickly state agencies can resume jobless benefits and also layer on a supplemental $300 weekly payout.

As of Dec. 26, an estimated 12 million workers either received their last unemployment check or saw their benefits drop to $0 because of deadlines on benefits written into the CARES Act. The freshly enacted bill pushes eligibility for jobless benefits to mid-March.

If you are an unemployed worker, of course you can breathe some sigh of relief, said Indivar Dutta-Gupta, co-executive director of the Georgetown Law Center on Poverty and Inequality. But with Trumps delay, he has introduced substantial uncertainty for people who are struggling to make ends meet on a day-to-day basis.

Heres a look at some of the open questions on whats next for workers:

How easy is it to keep the extra benefits coming?

When is the money coming?

Which Unemployment Programs Ended On Labor Day Weekend

Under the CARES Act and American Rescue Plan, unemployment benefits became more generous, easier to access, and longer-lasting to help mitigate the economic impact of COVID-19. These enhanced benefits were provided by three major programs that ended on Sept. 6:

• Pandemic Unemployment Compensation : $300 per week federal supplement that has been paid in addition to full state benefits
• Pandemic Unemployment Assistance : Benefits for workers not usually eligible for unemployment insurance, such as self-employed workers, freelancers, and other gig workers
• Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation : Assistance for those who are still unemployed after exhausting their state benefits in many states, standard unemployment insurance lasts for 26 weeks

The expiration of extra federal benefits largely doesnt affect traditional state unemployment programs. However, after Sept. 6, certain states with higher unemployment rates and smaller benefits may feel the loss of federal benefits more acutely.

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Is My State Processing Unemployment Back Payments

The answer is yes. All state UI agencies and departments are processing claims and will backdate your claim to when you first became unemployed, as reported by you when you enter your last day of work. You will need to generally contact them to update your unemployment date if incorrect so that they can correctly pay retroactive benefits. However states like Florida, North Dakota, Arizona and Ohio are still well behind making these retroactive payments due to IT system issues around certifying eligibility for past weeks and taking initial claims for new worker groups eligible for unemployment and the extra $600 under PUA provisions.

How Many Weeks Can I Get

New Jersey’s approved application covers six weeks, for Aug. 1 through Sept. 5, or the maximum the Trump administration allowed.

The FEMA grant was capped at $44 billion, but the program would also end if FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund balance drops below $25 billion. The account funds response and recovery efforts for natural disasters, and as the agency was responding to storms in the Gulf Coast like Hurricane Laura, that cut into what was available.

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$300 Bonus Unemployment Checks: How Many Are Left What You Should Know

The extra federal unemployment insurance payments are set to expire soon, but some recipients may need to pay taxes on the money.

More federal unemployment checks are still coming.

Editors’ note: On Thursday, President Joe Biden signed his American Rescue Plan that will extend unemployment bonus checks to Sept. 6. This article refers to the payments established in the relief package passed in December. We refer you to the article about the unemployment provisions in the American Rescue Plan for the latest information.

March 14 will be the last day for bonus unemployment checks unless President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief plan gets through Congress before. It already passed the House of Representatives and is currently in the Senate where the provisions such as a third stimulus check, Child Tax Credit and the eviction moratorium are being debated on.

Friday saw some changes to the extension of unemployment benefits. The House bill called for $400 bonus checks to last until the end of August, however, because the Senate will be adjourned during that period, there was a plan to extend the payments at a lower amount. Instead of $400, the new plan would drop the bonus checks to $300 and have them expire on Sept. 6. This plan has yet to be passed by the Senate and could still change before it’s added to the relief bill.