Pennsylvania and New Jersey will start to distribute an extra weekly $300 in federal funds to residents receiving unemployment benefit starting this week. However, they are still waiting still waiting for directions on how to continue to run the pandemic assistance programs.
According to a KYW Newsradio report, beginning this week, anyone who continues to file for their unemployment benefits, under the regular state unemployment program, will get the extra $300, and that will last until the middle of March.
In New Jersey that money will beginning to be deposited on bank cards and in accounts on Tuesday. The state’s commissioner of the Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Robert Asaro-Angelo, has said the reason it has come so quick is because of the staff increases and technology upgrades they implemented at the start of the pandemic.
You can read: What to know about unemployment benefits and one-time checks
Labor officials for both states explained they are still waiting on guidance from the feds on how to continue with the pandemic programs, both for the extension and for self-employed and gig workers. But like last time, jobless workers can file for dates missed, so everyone will get the full 11 weeks.
Urging the feds
Pennsylvania’s Acting Secretary of the Department of Labor and Industry, Jennifer Berrier, said their department is urging the feds to issue the guidance soon, so they can make the necessary changes to the system and continue with both programs. However, the federal government has not given them a timeline on when that will happen.
Any jobless worker who had their unemployment benefit end will still be eligible for an automatic three-month extension, plus the extra $300. However, if the claim expired in 2020, it will be necessary to file a new claim.
Noticias Newswire
