$300 additional jobless benefits go out this week

The state labor department announced Tuesday the staggered retroactive distribution of the additional $300 in unemployment benefits, a six-week program that runs for the weeks beginning Aug. 1 through Sept. 5.

The federal funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency are routed through the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, the state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations said.

The program will pay $300 a week to eligible claimants who have a weekly benefit of $100 or more in unemployment benefits. The state is not allowed to use CARES Act or any local funds to supplement individuals with a weekly benefit amount of less than $100 to become eligible pursuant to a presidential memorandum from Donald Trump.

Unlike the federal $600 plus-up program that ended in July, the $300 is a grant with a finite amount of funding that only includes benefits for the six weeks, the department said. Individuals with pending issues preventing payment will not receive the additional $300 per week if their issues are resolved after the program has ended.

Benefits generally take three business days to be deposited after issuance by the department. Starting this week, a week’s worth of benefits will go out every week and for the next five weeks for the payment period:

≤ Aug. 1 week — Wednesday to Friday.

≤ Aug. 8 — Tuesday, Oct. 1 and 2.

≤ Aug. 15 — Oct. 6 to 8. ≤ Aug. 22 — Oct. 13 to 15. ≤ Aug. 29 — Oct. 20 to 22, ≤ Sept. 5 — Oct. 27 to 29. Labor department Director Anne Perreira-Eustaquio said that about $370 million will be provided to families. “It is important to emphasize however, that this benefit is currently time-limited to only a six-week period . . . and not everyone who has filed an unemployment claim will be eligible,” she said.

“Providing extra relief to those still unemployed due to the COVID-19 pandemic supports those individuals and their families as well as local businesses as claimants spend the benefits,” said Gov. David Ige. “This maximizes all available federal funds to help people in Hawaii who are unemployed because of the coronavirus pandemic.”

For frequently asked questions about the program, go to labor.hawaii.gov/ui/main/faqlost-wages-assistance-lwa/. For more information about unemployment insurance and other labor issues, go to the recently revised FAQs at labor .hawaii.gov/covid-19labor-faqs/.