FEMA extends unemployment benefit
In response to the pandemic and the extended unemployment across our nation, President Trump signed an Executive Order to provide an additional $44 Billion from the Disaster Relief Fund to provide for lost wages.
As the extra $600 in additional federal weekly unemployment benefits was set to expire, Governor Lamont applied for extended funding from the federal government to provide an additional weekly wage supplement for Connecticut’s unemployed. Last night, that approval was granted.
The program, overseen by FEMA, will be administered by state officials and will provide a $300/week benefit for unemployed Connecticut residents who qualify.
Payments will be retroactive to July 26th, and are currently only available for July 26th, Aug. 2nd, and Aug. 9th. Other claim weeks are under review for approval.
According to Governor Lamont’s release, eligible individuals must self-certify that they are unemployed or partially unemployed due to the impact of COVID-19. Eligibility includes:
- Recipients of at least $100 per week of certain types of unemployment compensation for the week they are seeking unemployment benefits;
- Claimants receiving unemployment compensation including state and federal workers and former service members as well as those receiving Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, Extended Benefits, or High Extended Benefits;
- Anyone who qualified for Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation;
- Claimants receiving Short-Time Compensation; and
- Workers with a Trade Readjustment Allowance.
The agency anticipates disbursement in mid-September and expects about 250,000 claimants will be eligible for the federal benefit. The agency will mail letters to eligible claimants and release additional instruction and information as it becomes available.
The FEMA program will continue until the $44 billion is exhausted or Dec. 27, 2020.