State getting $1.5 billion to pay extra $300 weekly jobless benefit
Pennsylvania is getting $1.5 billion in federal funding to provide the extra $300-per-week payments for individuals who are unemployed or partly unemployed because of the pandemic.
State Labor & Industry secretary Jerry Oleksiak announced that dollar figure Tuesday morning. Those funds will be disbursed through the federal Lost Wages Assistance program, authorized Aug. 8 by President Donald Trump.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency is administering the temporary program. Pennsylvania applied for LWA funding on Friday and received FEMA approval late Monday afternoon. States have the option to kick in another $100 per week from state funds, but the commonwealth – like several other states – will not.
“We don’t have the state funds for it,” Oleksiak said Monday at his department’s weekly virtual news conference.
Payments through the LWA program will replace those from the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation program, which ended July 25 after providing an extra $600 a week to those who were already receiving unemployment compensation.
It may take a while to launch the LWA program in Pennsylvania, though, as L&I will have to install a new computer system for LWA.
“The recently ended $600 weekly federal benefit was a true lifeline to many Pennsylvanians, and I know you are (eager) for these new payments to begin,” Oleksiak said in a statement. “L&I is working as quickly as possible to evaluate what it will take to implement this program … while awaiting final program guidance from the federal government.”
Payments will be retroactive to Aug. 1 for those who are eligible. And to be eligible, individuals must receive at least $100 per week in benefits from: regular unemployment compensation; Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation; Pandemic Unemployment Assistance; extended benefits; short-time compensation or shared work; and Trade Readjustment Allowance.
Applicants must certify they are unemployed or partially unemployed for reasons related to the coronavirus outbreak.
The additional $300 weekly payments will continue until FEMA funding is exhausted, the federal government enacts a new law or the FPUC program is extended. The LWA program will exist for a minimum of three weeks and end no later than Dec. 27.
LWA is not an actual unemployment insurance program. FEMA is funding it with $44 billion that is earmarked for storm disaster relief – which is why Pennsylvania and other states have to set up new systems or processes to accommodate the program.
The U.S. House voted to continue the $600 benefit, but Senate Republicans have not approved its extension.