State approved for extra jobless benefits
At least 13 other states have been approved for jobless benefits, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which is administering the program.
California’s application has been approved for the federal Lost Wages Assistance program, which will provide an extra $300 a week to anyone receiving at least $100 a week in regular state or federal unemployment benefits, the Employment Development Department announced Saturday.
The state will receive an initial amount of $4.5 billion, with the possibility of additional funding.
The $300 a week supplement will be available for a minimum of three weeks, retroactive to Aug. 1, to people who are “currently eligible to receive at least $100 per week in benefits, and who have provided a selfcertification that they are unemployed or partially unemployed due to disruptions caused by COVID19,” the department said.
The state agency did not say how soon it will be able to pay out benefits. It will require some system changes, because the eligibility requirements are somewhat different from other unemployment insurance programs.
President Trump authorized the program in an Aug. 8 memorandum after Congress failed to agree on a plan to replace the extra $600 a week that was paid to everyone receiving state or federal unemployment benefits from April through July.
At least 13 other states have been approved for benefits, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which is administering the program.
States can use their own money to provide an extra $100 per week, bringing the new supplemental payments to $400. On Saturday, only Montana, Kentucky and West Virginia had said they plan to do that.
The program will use up to $44 billion in funds set aside for federal disaster relief to pay the benefits. Benefits will cease when the $44 billion is exhausted, the disaster fund balance drops below $25 billion, Congress approves a different plan for federal supplemental benefits, or Dec. 27 — whichever comes first. Some experts say the money could be gone within six weeks.
FEMA is limiting states to three weeks of benefits initially, to make sure states that qualify for funds will get at least three weeks. It will use state and federal data to “project the overall funding distributions,” FEMA said. Additional disbursements will be made on a weekly basis.
The extra $300 a week will be available to anyone receiving at least $100 per week in regular state unemployment compensation, Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation, Extended
Benefits, Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees, Unemployment Compensation for ExServicemembers, ShortTime Compensation, Trade Readjustment Allowance or payments under the SelfEmployment Assistance program.