CARES Act Unemployment Extension (HR 133)

The Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development (TDLWD) is currently reviewing the details of the CARES Act (HR 133) Extension Unemployment Congress recently passed and President Donald Trump signed the law.

TDLWD will provide applicants with additional information on the next steps they need to take to receive the modified federal unemployment benefits listed in HR 133 once they have the United States Department of Labor (USDOL) program rules.

TDLWD must wait for guidance from the USDOL program before beginning implementation of HR 133. There is no set timetable for when states will receive such guidance from the federal government. The state cannot pay benefits until it receives rules for these modified programs. Once this happens, TDLWD will work to implement the changes as quickly as possible to provide these much needed benefits to qualified applicants in Tennessee.

Pandemic unemployment assistance (PUA)

• It will provide up to 11 additional weeks of benefits, up to a maximum of 50 weeks.
• Weekly certification will be required.
• Applicants must provide documentation of eligibility to qualify for the PUA as of January 31, 2021.
• The PUA will be available until the week ending March 13, 2021 (no new registrations after that date), with an allowance for three additional weeks of benefits for those who have not reached the maximum number of weeks in the week ending April 3, 2021.

Federal pandemic unemployment compensation (FPUC)

• It will provide up to 11 weeks of an additional $ 300 weekly benefit for qualified applicants.
• The applicant must be eligible through a separate unemployment program to receive FPUC.
• Once implemented, the FPUC will be available to cover unemployment weeks between December 27, 2020 and the week ending March 13, 2021.

Pandemic emergency unemployment compensation (PEUC)

• It will provide up to an additional 11 weeks of benefits, up to a maximum of 24 weeks.
• PEUC will be available until the week ending March 13, 2021 (no new registrations after that date), with an additional three-week bonus benefit for those who have not reached the maximum number of weeks in the week ending April 3, 2021.