What Happens Now With Extra Unemployment and $300 Payments Ending?

See this article for the latest on the end and possible extension of unemployment benefits.


With funding for the weekly $300 Lost Wages Assistance (LWA) program having run out after only six weeks and the $600 FPUC payment expiring back in July most Americans are going to go back to relying on regular and pandemic unemployment benefits available mainly through their state. This includes the following:

  • Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) – Provides 39 to 46 weeks of benefits for freelance, gig and contract workers who would normally NOT have been eligible for state unemployment programs. Workers who get PUA are not concurrently eligible for PEUC or Extended State Unemployment benefits. Unemployment claims for PUA will be backdated and paid retroactively to the first week during the PUA period in which an employee was unemployed, partially unemployed, or unable and unavailable to work due to COVID-19.
  • Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC)—An additional 13 weeks on top of regular state unemployment for a total of 39 weeks of coverage in most states if you have exhausted other benefits. This is available to people who generally would qualify for regular state unemployment and cannot be claimed if an unemployed person is eligible for PUA.
  • Extended State Unemployment Benefits (EB)— Provides an additional 13 additional weeks of benefits when a state is experiencing high unemployment. Some states have also enacted a voluntary program to pay up to 7 additional weeks (for a total of 20 weeks maximum) during periods of extremely high unemployment. Note that extended state benefits are only available after people have collected all regular Unemployment Insurance benefits as well as any PEUC benefits they were eligible for. But if the unemployment rates drops below high unemployment thresholds in a state, the EB benefit coverage weeks may drop or cease. See the current levels of EB benefits available by state.

Another important item to note is that millions of Americans have not yet been paid or claimed the benefits they could be entitled to. So if you have been unemployed or lost wages this year due to COVID you need to pursue your claim (and I know its been tough) and ensure you get paid retroactively for weeks you are eligible.

Claiming Retroactive $300 LWA and $600 FPUC back payments

If you haven’t yet claimed or didn’t realize you were eligible for the $300 LWA payment (covering weeks from August 1st 2020 to September 5th 2020) or the $600 FPUC program (Early April to the end of July) then you must act quickly and file a claim to check if you meet the eligibility requirements for the above UI programs. The Department of Labor has said hundreds of thousands of American’s may be eligible for the enhanced unemployment benefit programs in 2020 and need to act fast to get their money before funding runs out.

Congressional Extension of Unemployment Benefits

Despite the above programs availability for the rest of the year, many unemployed or under-employed Americans this could see a 50% to 133% drop in supplementary weekly unemployment benefits based on the state they live in. While Congress is discussing an extension in extra unemployment benefits (as part of a new stimulus plan) it will likely mean many unemployed Americas are seeing much smaller unemployment benefit payments for the next few months.

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14 thoughts on “What Happens Now With Extra Unemployment and $300 Payments Ending?”

  1. I spend fouling every week to the telephone with an operator for my p e u c unemployment here in Virginia they told me I was going to receive back pay along with my regular pay, and about somewhere around two weeks well it has been way over two weeks someone please tell me when do you think I’m going to receive my back pain meds with my regular pay for my p e u c unemployment here in Virginia can somebody please help me out what’s some good news how long do I gotta wait.

    Reply
  2. Jaime olivieris
    is my name and I am from Virginia and I can really use a little advice from anyone because I am a little stressed and caught up I am behind on bills I finished my regular UI unemployment and now I spoke to someone at the unemployment office and they said they did my weekly files going back until October 2020
    For my p e u c unemployment well I receive the $600 back pay along with the $300 that they already gave out?
    And will they go back all the way to April 4th or April 5th of 2020
    can give me back pay
    I’ve been fouling every week so when do you think I will receive my payment?
    And well I receive all that back pay pay someone to help me out with some advice wish I could really use.

    Reply
  3. My weekly PUA us $100. I chose to have taxes taken out which drops me down to $90 a week after they take taxes. Dud not receive Extra $300. So, those people who didn’t have taxes taken out get their money, but because I do, I don’t qualify? It doesn’t make sense. Shouldn’t it be based on your actual benefit amount?

    Reply
    • I believe, but don’t know for certain, that it’s partial income that reduces your $100. If you earned $50 one week they would reduce your weekly payment by $25, giving you $75 total for the week thereby making you ineligible for the $300. Income tax deductions SHOULD NOT affect eligibility. Some stated simply ran out of the LWA $300 and people didn’t get it. Some states kick you out of eligibility for all weeks if you fall below the $100 ONE week. Every state is different because they’re allowed to ‘apply’ their federal funds however they see fit. I too am receiving PUA & working to find the reason I’ve not received my LWA. For me it’s only $900 but, considering I’m currently homeless, it means a lot to me. One thing I do know is that we both have only a few days to find out if or why we’re denied and fix it or lose it. Looks like we’re in luck with the new stimulus’ continuation of PUA but we’ll probably need to file proof documents or lose the little we are getting.

      Reply
    • I gave 7 weeks of PUA certification weeks stuck in “Received “mode .I call ALOT to get an understanding on why I haven’t received my PUA payments.
      The new update today was a specialist needs to work on it. How long will that take??

      Reply
  4. I called and tried to file my original pau claim starting in march couldnt get thru but needed additional confirmation that I would qualify for pau because normally being self employed it was new. Oklahoma had a very outdated system and representatives were swamped so I finally went to a midwest city event which was hours away and found out you needed a ticket from the day before. So I continued on the website getting kicked off and was successful I believe in June or July. I kept calling because my statement said I was eligible since the day I was layed off due to covid but the start date was I believe july because that was the day I applie. I kept calling finally calling a nearby workforce and got thru again and they said I needed to talk to a level 2 (ibelieve) agent and never got a call back. My pay started I called and got thru a month lateri read it could be backdated to the date I lost work and she asked me if I had the reference number from the level 2 representative reply who was suppose to call me back. I didnt. It was very difficult and I should have kept it but didnt have it. I didnt really push after that. Frankly afraid my weekly claim would be delayed if I made a fuss because a former coworker I supervised at one time had that happen I think they did a fraud injury because she wanted it backdated and although she only had it stopped to verify identity or something I wasn’t something I could risk going without payment for even a week is there anyway to backdate it becaus. I am freaking out and really really need to do whatever I can to get any help available.

    Reply
  5. praying there will be more help. My disabled son and I are trying to live on $104 weekly UI (after taxes). My job will not have me back until Jan 2021 or later if there is still no vaccine. My son’s program is not available and I am his only family and caretaker. Wish Pelosi would understand that something is better than nothing.

    Reply
  6. You say PEUC is: “An additional 13 weeks on top of regular state unemployment for a total of 39 weeks of coverage in most states if you have exhausted other benefits.”
    However, my understanding is that the CARES act only extends PEUC to 12/31/20 or 39 weeks whichever comes first. Is that correct?

    Reply

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