How to get additional unemployment benefits after the end of standard payments

Federal law provides for additional unemployment benefits during the coronavirus pandemic, but to receive them, you may have to submit a second application, writes CNBC.

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The March CARES Coronavirus Federal Law provides for up to 13 additional weeks of unemployment benefits under the Pandemic Compensation Program (PEUC).

This means that Americans can receive benefits for about 3 months after they have exhausted their standard state benefits, which usually last 26 weeks. On average, a US resident receives about $ 380 per week.

Additional assistance expires at the end of the year (this program is different from the one where Americans receive $ 600 per week until July 31).

But many Americans will have to re-apply for these additional weeks of benefits: according to the Department of Labor, there will be no automatic charges.

“For some reason, [the Department of Labor] has taken the position that people have to reapply for additional PEUC benefits,” said Michelle Evermore, senior policy analyst at the National Employment Law Project.

On the subject: An additional $ 600 to unemployment benefits can be obtained retroactively: procedure

Are payment delays expected?

According to the Department of Labor, more than 850 recipients of unemployment assistance are in the process of receiving an additional 000 weeks of benefits.

PEUC usually provides the same amount of assistance that the recipient received in the previous round of payments. This will also include a surcharge of $ 600 dollars per week, which will be funded by the federal government until July 31.

It is possible that in the coming weeks, more people will join PEUC.

For example, in Florida and North Carolina they pay up to 12 weeks of standard benefits. That is, workers in the states where they began to pay benefits in the early days of the pandemic may soon need additional 13-week assistance.

Reapplying could mean delays in assistance for some recipients, depending on how smooth the application process is, Evermore said.

Many Americans who lost their jobs at the start of the coronavirus pandemic had to wait more than a month to receive unemployment benefits in the midst of a historic surge in applications.

According to the Department of Labor, as of June 20, about 33 million people were receiving unemployment benefits. For comparison: in February, their number was about 2 million people.

It seems that the states have begun to cope better with faster processing of applications for unemployment benefits. In addition, the Department of Labor requires states to notify potential applicants.

According to Evermore, checking the application for extension of benefits may be relatively easy for the states, as they previously determined the right of a person to receive standard unemployment assistance.

However, not all states require a new statement, despite the position of the Department of Labor.

For example, Pennsylvania will automatically start paying an additional 13 weeks of benefits after workers have exhausted their standard state benefits, according to the local unemployment website.

On the subject: Unemployment benefits and coronavirus financial assistance: how they are taxed

Extended benefits

Almost all states now offer additional weeks of benefits under their respective programs.

These extended benefits are provided during periods of high state unemployment and typically offer an additional 13 or 20 weeks of benefits.

According to the Department of Labor, extended benefits become available after the federal PEUC benefits expire.

For example, in New York, an unemployed person can receive up to 59 weeks of total benefits—26 weeks of standard state benefits, 13 weeks of PEUC, and 20 weeks of extended benefits.

Some states may require residents to reapply for these extended benefits. For example, in Oregon, you need to do this over the phone. At the same time, it was noted on the state’s website that it can be “difficult” to contact a department representative due to an “unusually large number of calls.”

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