$ 300 bonus unemployment checks: More states sending payments. What you should know

More than $ 160 billion in second stimulus check reached millions of Americans, the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget said on Friday. This round of payments comes from a $ 900 billion COVID-19 aid package passed by Congress in December as part of a $ 2.3 trillion general spending bill. Together with second stimulus check (here it is how to track your payment), the project grants 11 weeks of a weekly unemployment bonus of $ 300. Payments occur as the Department of Labor announces the loss of 140,000 jobs in December.

On January 5, the United States Department of Labor issued guidance to states on how to allocate aid funds to unemployed workers. Several states have already informed recipients via email or social media about upcoming bonus checks, but most are still weeks away from sending the additional money.

Contributing to the delay was President Donald Trump, who waited five days before signed the stimulus project to release checks. Trump’s move to increase the maximum of $ 600 for the second stimulus check to $ 2,000 was not chosen to vote in the Senate until January 3, the same day that new congress The result meant a longer wait for the renewed federal unemployment benefits to take effect, in addition to the state subsidy.

We are here to answer as many questions as we can, given the current information available, including whether the weekly unemployment bonus includes retroactive payments and who meets the eligibility requirements. We recently updated this story.

How long will the additional $ 300 of unemployment insurance last?

At that point, new checks are expected to start arriving soon, although it depends on how long it will take states to start processing payments. Checks are allowed to last until March 14, but there is an overflow that runs through April 5 for those who exhausted state benefits before their due date.

Are $ 300 bonus checks retroactive?

While the language of the stimulus project does not specify whether the unemployment bonus is retroactive, it does not appear to be the case, The Washington Post reported. Observers do not expect that we will see a lump sum payment instituted by the federal government to compensate for previous weeks of not receiving a check for $ 300.

What is mixed wage unemployment compensation? How can I qualify?

The original CARES Act enabled unemployed workers to obtain their benefits from the state through unemployment insurance or through a federal program called Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, or PUA. Someone who was self-employed or who worked as a self-employed person, freelancer or contractor who normally does not receive unemployment insurance after being released can receive PUA.

In the language of the new law, however, someone who earned a combination of income from a traditional job and a job as a contractor would be paid unemployment insurance or the PUA, but not a combination of both.

With mixed unemployment compensation, a person who earned more money from self-employment or contract work – which requires a 1099 form – could receive an extra $ 100 per week. For example, let’s say you earned $ 50,000 in 2019, which was split with $ 30,000 from outsourced work and $ 20,000 from a part-time job at a company. If you were fired, the state unemployment office would calculate whether you would receive benefits of $ 30,000 via PUA or $ 20,000 via unemployment insurance, but not a combination of the two.

Although someone who works in a traditional job and earns $ 50,000 a year in New York receives $ 480 a week from unemployment insurance, for having a mix of the two, you would get the larger of the two different amounts, which would be the $ 288 PUA per week instead of $ 280 unemployment.

The mixed unemployment compensation will now give that person an extra $ 100, but only if the state participates. It may take some time for states to determine whether or not to do so after the bill is approved.

What are the qualifications of the $ 300 weekly bonus check?

If you were fired or licensed, you are eligible to apply for unemployment benefits from the state where you live. Once the state approves your claim, you can request to receive any state benefits to which you are entitled. Because states cover 30% to 50% of a person’s wages, there is no single amount you can expect on a national basis.

When the CARES Act passed in March, it provided unemployed workers with a weekly bonus check for $ 600 in addition to the amount the state was offering, but those payments ended in July. Trump Executive Memorandum signed on August 8 reinstated a weekly bonus check for a $ 300 reduction financed by the federal government through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). These were offered for only six weeks to the states that applied (which means everyone except South Dakota). Those who receive PUA will also receive the $ 300 bonus.

Do I qualify for extra federal unemployment insurance?

The eligibility criteria vary from state to state, but the general rule is that you must apply if you have lost your job or been dismissed without your own fault. This would include a job lost directly or indirectly because of coronavirus pandemic.

How does my state calculate unemployment insurance amounts?

The state determines how much each applicant receives, usually based on the gross income. This varies from state to state, but is usually between $ 300 and $ 600.

How do states deal with unemployment checks?

Most states offer up to 26 weeks of funding, although others, such as Georgia, limit benefits to 12 weeks. On the other hand, Delaware has extended the benefits for up to 30 weeks.

The amount of the weekly benefit depends on the applicant’s gross income when employed and varies between $ 300 and $ 600, with some exceptions. Mississippi paid up to $ 235, while Massachusetts’s maximum was $ 1,220. The CARES Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation added another 13 weeks financed by the federal government, but another unemployment insurance stimulus project would need to be approved to extend it further. The latest COVID-19 relief package would add another 11 weeks of PEUC.

How can I view my state’s unemployment insurance policy?

Each state’s employment office provides information about your specific unemployment benefits.

If you’re interested in stimulus checks, here’s what we know so far about bidding for a $ 2,000 per stimulus payment per person and what has been said so far about a third stimulus check in 2021.