NEW JERSEY – According to an email received Tuesday afternoon from the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL), states were assured workers receiving federal COVID-19 related benefits would not see a lapse in benefits this week.
“We know there are still a lot of questions to answer, but those receiving Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) or Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) should continue to certify for the benefits,” said Labor Commissioner Robert Asaro-Angelo. “We’re glad our federal partners have indicated there will be no missed week, even though the bill wasn’t signed on Saturday, but we will continue to update our claimants as we receive more information from Washington.”
States continue to await further federal guidance for other aspects of the program including how to execute and distribute these new benefits to the record number of workers sidelined by the pandemic.
Among the recipients of the extended benefits in the new bill are regular unemployment claimants as well as those receiving PUA, such as self-employed, gig and part-time workers, who are typically not eligible for unemployment.
The bill restarts the FPUC program for all claimants, but at a level of $300, rather than the original $600, per week from week ending January 2nd through March 13.
