Inslee announces one-time payments for pandemic unemployment recipients
By Q13 News Staff
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OLYMPIA, Wash. - Gov. Jay Inslee announced a one-time $550 payment for nearly 95,000 Washingtonians claiming unemployment benefits from the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program.
Inslee made the announcement Sunday in response to President Trump s delay in signing the federal Covid-19 relief package, which extends unemployment assistance for people who normally would not qualify - like independent contractors and self-employed workers.
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Gov. Jay Inslee on Sunday said the state will provide $54 million to almost 100,000 Washington residents who will lose federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) benefits after President Trump didn’t sign the federal coronavirus relief package by midnight on Dec. 26. The president’s signature would have prevented a lapse in PUA benefits.
“We are providing a bridge for some Washingtonians until the federal government finally acts,” Inslee said. “It is extremely unfortunate that the president has missed the deadline and allowed much-needed unemployment benefits to lapse for struggling workers and families.”
The PUA program provides federal unemployment benefits for those not eligible for regular Unemployment Insurance, such as independent contractors and self-employed workers.
Washington state will pay $54 million to help nearly 100,000 people who lost unemployment benefits
Gov. Jay Inslee announced a one-time $54 million extension after President Trump previous refused to sign the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance extension. Author: KING 5 Staff Updated: 7:12 AM PST December 28, 2020
Trump signed the bipartisan deal late Sunday, averting a mid-pandemic government shutdown, and restoring the programs for millions of Americans in need.
Lawmakers from both parties had implored Trump to act.
The signing comes after Trump blindsided members of both parties and upended months of negotiations when he demanded last week that the package already passed the House and Senate by large margins and believed to have Trump s support be revised to include larger relief checks and scaled-back spending in other areas.