**Important information concerning federal benefits provided for by the CARES Act and other subsequent legislation**
The federal programs authorizing benefits under the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA), Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC), Federal Pandemic Emergency Compensation (FPUC) and Mixed Employment Unemployment Compensation (MEUC) will end with the week covering August 29, 2021 through September 4, 2021. None of the above programs will be authorized for payment for any other weeks of unemployment beyond September 4, 2021.
Question: I am receiving benefits from my regular state unemployment insurance program (UI). I qualify for $298 per week for 24 weeks. I am also getting an additional $300 per week under the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) program. This is for a total of $598 each week. Will I continue to receive $598 in benefits for the weeks after September 4, 2021?
Answer: You can continued to file for state regular unemployment insurance (UI) for up to 24 weeks or for as long as you remain unemployed and meet weekly eligibility requirements. In your case the weekly UI benefit amount is $298.
** The FPUC of $300 would no longer be payable since it is a federal program.
Question: I exhausted my regular unemployment benefits (UI) of $298 per week and moved to the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) program, which also paid $298 per week. I have been receiving this each week plus $300 in the additional FPUC benefits.
Answer: Benefits under the PEUC and FPUC programs are federally funded and are no longer authorized after September 4, 20021. There would be no additional compensation available to you at this time.
Question: I am receiving benefits under the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program. I receive $158 dollars each week in addition to the additional $300 from the FPUC program.
Answer: Benefits under the PUA and FPUC programs are federally funded and are no longer authorized after September 4, 20021. There would be no additional compensation available to you at this time.
Question: I have an appeal pending. If the decision is returned in my favor, I will be eligible for weeks of benefits for weeks prior to September 4, 2021. Will I still be able to receive those benefits even with the end of the federal programs?
Answer: If you have an appeal pending and it is resolved in your favor, we would pay you for any of the weeks you had submitted under the state regular UI program or the federal programs like PUA and PEUC. The additional benefit of $300 per week under the FPUC program would also be included. ** Each program named above does carry weekly eligibility criteria that may or may not be covered in the appeal decision.
Richmond — The Virginia Employment Commission began notifying customers that all COVID-19 related federal unemployment programs, as originally authorized by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act of 2020, and extended through the Continued Assistance Act (CAA) of 2021 and American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021, will end on Sept. 4, 2021. Since the beginning of these programs, the VEC has issued over $14 Billion in benefits, providing an unprecedented amount of economic support to Virginians during the pandemic.
The following federal unemployment programs are affected:
- Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC), which provides an additional $300 weekly payment for any claimant who is eligible for at least $1 of an underlying unemployment compensation program.
- Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA), which provides benefits for claimants who are unemployed as a direct result of COVID-19 and not eligible for regular unemployment compensation or PEUC, including those who are self-employed or are gig workers.
- Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC), which provides an extension of benefits after a claimant has exhausted regular unemployment insurance (UI) benefits.
- Mixed Earner Unemployment Compensation (MEUC), which provides an additional $100 weekly payment to certain claimants who have at least $5,000 in self-employment income in the most recent taxable year, prior to their application for regular unemployment compensation.
The VEC will process and pay benefits to eligible claimants for all weeks of unemployment ending on or before the date of termination in accordance with guidance from the United States Department of Labor. If a claimant is entitled to benefits and the claim is found to be valid after that date through a subsequent determination or appeal, the claimant will be paid those funds, even after the federal programs have ended.
With rising wages and an all-time high number of job openings, VEC and its partners at the Virginia Career Works Centers are working to support workers as they seek to restart their careers. For more information on job openings and other services offered to support job seekers, please visit www.vec.virginia.gov.
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