The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced Monday that it had approved Pennsylvania for a grant under the Lost Wages Assistance program. FEMA’s grant funding will allow Pennsylvania to provide $300 per week, on top of their regular unemployment benefit, to those who had lost their jobs in the commonwealth due to COVID-19.
According to data from WPXI, the agency will work with Gov. Tom Wolf to implement a system to make the funding available for Pennsylvania residents.
The extra benefit comes after the months-long benefit of $600 a month in federal money ran out at the end of July.
On Aug. 8, President Donald Trump opened up $44 billion from FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund to provide additional financial assistance, to Americans who have lost wages due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, the state of Pennsylvania agreed to administer a lost wages program for its citizens who are unemployed due to COVID-19.
You can read: Pennsylvania begins unemployment compensation
“FEMA looks forward to working with the governors of additional states who agree to administer a lost wages program to bring financial relief to unemployed Americans,” the agency said.
Nate Doughty from the Pittsburgh Business Time said that Pennsylvania will receive $1.5 billion in funding that will provide retroactive payments to Aug. 1 to people who are qualified. But it is not clear when the extra benefits will begin.