Colorado says Phase 2 of federal unemployment rollout will happen week of Feb. 22
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David Zalubowski/AP
A sign stands in front of storefronts in Larimer Square as merchants deal with the rapid spread of the new coronavirus Thursday, Nov. 12, 2020, in downtown Denver. As in the rest of the nation, Colorado officials are dealing with a steep increase in the number of COVID-19 cases across the state in the past month. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Posted at 12:16 PM, Feb 08, 2021
and last updated 2021-02-09 21:19:26-05
Statehouse News Bureau
Ohio Department of Job and Family Services Director Kim Henderson, in a Zoom call with reporters on Wednesday, February 3, 2020.
Fraud in the state’s unemployment system cost Ohio more than $330 million in just the last three months of last year. And there could still be fraud among more than a quarter of a million claims flagged this summer.
Ohio Department of Job and Family Services Director Kim Henderson said $2.3 million was paid to 2,200 fraudulent claims in October and November.
But Henderson said, “In December, we identified 56,000 overpayments in the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Program. This equates to a total of $330 million, including the supplemental $600 FPUC (Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation) payments.”
The current COVID-19 relief bill before Congress would extend at least two federal unemployment benefit programs to at least September, according to the White House.
The U.S. Senate voted 51-50 early Friday to approve a federal budget plan sought by the Biden administration, with Vice President Kamala Harris casting the tie-breaking vote.
Later Friday, the U.S. House approved 219-209 several Senate changes to the legislation.
The Washington Post reported that the budget plan will allow for House committees to begin working on the Biden administration s $1.9 trillion COVID-19 stimulus package.
House speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said she aims to pass the Biden administration s $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package within two weeks â before the expirations of the two programs.
Georgia Extended Benefits End As UI Rate Decreases Thursday, February 4, 2021
Recently, Georgia’s 13-week Insured Unemployment Rate fell below the threshold for the State Extended Benefit program to remain available for payments and the last payable week ending date is Feb. 6. Any eligible payments for week ending dates after Feb. 6 will no longer be payable under the SEB program. Claimants who are later determined to be eligible for week ending dates on or before Feb. 6 will be paid SEB for those weeks. SEB claimants who continue to be unemployed or partially unemployed after week ending date Feb. 6 and remain eligible, will have 11 additional weeks added to their previous Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation claim and resume receipt of PEUC. These PEUC payments will be issued as quickly as possible for those claimants whose SEB benefits will end next week.
Pierre, SD, USA / DRGNews
Feb 4, 2021 8:48 AM
During the week of Jan. 24-30, a total of 473 initial weekly claims for state unemployment benefits were processed by the Department of Labor and Regulation. This is a decrease of 107 claims from the prior week’s total of 580.
A total of $1.2 million was paid out in state benefits, in addition to $1.3 million in Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC), $38,000 in Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) and $275,000 in Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) benefits.
The Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund balance was $157.8 million on Jan. 31.
The latest number of continued state claims is 5,291 for the week ending Jan. 23, an increase of 375 from the prior week’s total of 4,916. This indicates the number of unemployed workers eligible for and receiving benefits after their initial claim.