TALLAHASSEE Questions remained Wednesday about when extended unemployment benefits from a newly signed federal stimulus package will be available for Floridians out of work because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The state’s jobs agency had not posted a timetable about the extended benefits, and no formal announcement had been made about whether Floridians will be covered for the current week because of when the $900 billion federal package was signed.
The Department of Economic Opportunity, already anticipating unemployment payments to be delayed two to three days because of banks closing for the New Year’s holiday, said that while it is “working diligently on these additional benefits,” it must first get direction from the U.S. Department of Labor.
While some states expect to get new boosted payments out after this weekend, it could take others several weeks to reintroduce new payments to record-level numbers of claimants. With that said, most states are expected to start issuing the $300 boost to workers in the next two to three weeks, writes Andrew Stettner, a senior fellow with The Century Foundation.
Freelancers and gig workers on Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, and those who ve exhausted their state aid and moved to Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation, may also have to wait several weeks before they resume aid as states reconfigure their computer systems to administer new payments; however, benefits will be backdated to the signing of the bill. Roughly 13.2 million Americans are currently drawing from one of these two programs, which have also been extended into March 2021.
December 31, 2020 By Jessica Mathews/News@whmi.com
Unemployed Livingston County residents and others across the state are being told to expect delays in benefit payments.
Although a COVID-19 emergency relief package was signed into law that continues and expands federal unemployment insurance programs, due to the timing of the legislationâs finalization, there will be a delay in certification and payment of benefits for those currently enrolled in the federal and state programs. Officials say it is only a disruption and claimants will be made whole once the extensions are fully implemented â although no exact timeframe has been released.
The relief package which will extend federal unemployment programs (PUA and PEUC) through March 14th and will provide an additional $300 per week for anyone receiving unemployment benefits. Officials say the continuation of these benefits coupled with the additional $300 in weekly payments for all clai
Unemployment claims generally are highest in November through February because of seasonal layoffs in construction, agriculture, landscaping and manufacturing.
Nearly 70.6% of the claims filed last week were not COVID-19 related, the agency said, an increase from 68.9% the previous week.
The agency also announced Thursday that people who had been receiving unemployment through the federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance and Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation will not have payments interrupted, after President Donald Trump signed legislation extending the programs.
However, the state is awaiting federal guidance on implementing the program for new applications filed after Sunday. Payments of new claims might be delayed but the IWD said it anticipates the federal guidance will be issued in the next two weeks.