Related
HARRISBURG (Newsradio 1020 KDKA) - On Friday, Governor Tom Wolf helped the Department of Labor & Industry send in an application for aid from the Lost Wages Assistance Grant.
The application would allow some unemployed Pennsylvania residents to receive an extra $300 per week.
"By failing to put out of work Americans first and extending the extra $600 per week federal benefit that ended in July, Congressional Republicans are forcing our hand to apply for these funds," said Governor Wolf.
"The president’s convoluted, short-term program, which will likely only provide payments for five or six weeks, will pay those who are eligible only half as much as before and will make 30,000 Pennsylvanians ineligible to continue receiving an additional weekly benefit."
"There is still time for Congressional Republicans to pass a good and practical solution that simply extends the extra weekly benefit, and I urge them to act now.
"As I have said before and will continue to say, the extra $600 per week was the lifeline Pennsylvania families needed to get by.
"They deserve better."
Not only that, but Governor Wolf also penned a letter to get an extension of Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation benefits.
The Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation program was discontinued on July 25 and replaced by the Lost Wages Assistance Grant back on August 8.
But it does not represent a true unemployment benefit program.
Instead, the grant receives its funding through the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Though, that money is meant to be used on storm damage and disaster relief.
With this being the case, the unemployment supplemental benefits could have delays since it is being reallocated from FEMA funds.
The transition demands a new computer system, in fact.
In order to qualify for the supplemental benefits, individuals will have to meet certain criteria: "individuals must receive at least $100 per week in regular Unemployment Compensation (UC); Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC); Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA); Extended Benefits (EB); Short-Time Compensation (STC) or Shared Work; and Trade Readjustment Allowance (TRA) and must self-certify that they are unemployed or partially unemployed due to disruptions caused by COVID-19."
Those who are eligible will get benefits backdated to August 1, 2020.
The payments are also contingent on FEMA funding, which could ultimately be exhausted.
Updates to the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation program could also be made at some point during the rest of the year, but either way, the payments will cease on December 27, 2020.
___Listen to KDKA Radio on the RADIO.COM AppTell your smart speaker to "play News Radio 10 20 KDKA"Receive email updates from KDKA RadioFollow KDKA Radio: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram