Extended Benefits For Unemployed Rolled Out

While many newly out-of-work Pennsylvanians are still waiting for their initial unemployment claims to be processed, the state Department of Labor and Industry has announced the launch of the state’s Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation program.

Those who exhaust their initial unemployment compensation will be provided an extra 13 weeks of benefits through the program, which is included in the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

With the announcement of the program, the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry has put all CARES Act benefits in place, officials said.

Since mid-March, the state has paid out $7.9 billion in total unemployment benefits. The money breaks down as $4.8 billion from regular unemployment compensation, $2.85 billion from the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) program (the extra $600 per week), and $290 million from the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program since May 7.

The state said those who could potentially qualify for the new program are expected to receive information via email or regular mail.

The Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry provided the following information on the program:

Eligibility  

You are eligible for PEUC if you:

• Are unemployed between March 29 through December 26, 2020;
• Have exhausted your regular state or federal benefits with week ending July 6, 2019 or later;
• Are currently not eligible for state or federal unemployment benefits; and
• Are able and available to work and actively seeking work, except for COVID-19-related reasons including illness, quarantine, or “stay at home” orders.

How to Receive PEUC​

• ​If you have an open UC claim but exhausted all of your benefits, the 13 additional weeks will automatically be added to your existing claim. Log in this week to file biweekly claims for prior weeks, back through the week ending April 4 (if applicable).
• If your benefit year has expired then you must submit an application online.
• If you don’t have access to computers or the internet, you can have a loved one or friend print the paper application for you to complete and submit via mail. We are also in the process of mailing paper copies of the application to individuals who might need it.
• Biweekly claims and payments work the same way as for regular UC benefits.

PEUC Weekly Benefit Amount: 

• Your PEUC weekly benefit amount is the same as your regular UC weekly benefit rate.
• Your weekly benefit rate is based on your reported earnings during the base year (the first four of the last five completed quarters). You must also have over 18 credit weeks (weeks during which you earned $116 or more) in your base year to be eligible for UC.

Extra $600 on PEUC: 

• You will receive an additional $600 per week from the federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) program. Anyone collecting any type of UC, including PEUC, will receive the extra $600 per week in addition to your weekly benefits as calculated.
• FPUC payments began the week ending April 4, 2020 and will end July 25, 2020. These payments will be backdated for eligible individuals and paid in one lump sum.
• You will receive the extra $600 FPUC payments the week after your PEUC payments.

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