Louisiana Workforce Commission has paid out $1.2 billion in combined state and federal unemployment benefits to over 432,000 people since March 21.
“Just to put that in comparison, all of last year we’ve paid out $153 million to a little over 100,000 individuals,” Ava Dejoie, Secretary for Louisiana Workforce Commission, explained to Newell Normand. “So we are continuing to clear those cases out and getting more individuals paid. We are continuing to work on our messaging to make sure that everyone understands what we need from them in terms of our ability to verify and file your claim.”
Here is what you need to know before filing your claim:
If your employment has been impacted for reasons related to COVID-19, please review the following information about assistance available. The Louisiana Workforce Commission (LWC) will do all that we can to ensure impacted workers receive the benefits for which they are eligible.
1. Your work hours have been reduced because of a lack of work due to Coronavirus.
2. Your workplace closes temporarily, and you are not being compensated.
3. You have been instructed not to go to work, and you are not being paid while at home.
You MAY be eligible for unemployment insurance. You can file a claim at www.louisianaworks.net/hire or by calling our Claim Center at 866-783-5567. Effective March 17, 2020, we have extended our Claim Center hours to 8 a.m.- 7 p.m.
Be sure to answer “YES” to the question, “Are you filing for Unemployment Insurance benefits for reasons related to COVID-19?” This will provide needed information to the LWC to help process your claim.
If your work hours have been reduced, partial benefits could be available to you up to a maximum of $247 a week. You must report any earnings for the week that you work, even if you’ve not yet been paid. Report the gross amount before deductions. These earnings would be factored into the number of unemployment benefits paid to you for that week. A number of factors determine eligibility for benefits. The LWC reviews each case separately. The maximum number of weeks that unemployment benefits can be paid per claim is 26 weeks in a 12-month period.
Wages and vacation pay (received or will receive) MUST be reported when you file your unemployment claim.
IMPORTANT NOTE: As per the Governor’s proclamation, for individuals whose employment has been impacted due to COVID-19:
• Work search requirements are waived
• Week of waiting is waived
Click here for more information on COVID-19 LWC COVID-19