Hawaii to restart Pandemic Unemployment Assistance payments next week

Pandemic Unemployment Assistance beneficiaries in Hawaii will receive up to two payments of $ 300 or more next week.

The state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations said today that federal funding and programming updates have allowed the department to initiate benefit payments to PUA claimants who certified eligible claims for the week ending January 2, which will be processed this weekend.

Qualified claimants who attest to the claims this Sunday for the week ending January 9 will also have their claims processed, including the amount of $ 300 or more, and will be paid mid-week.

The state Department of Labor said it is working diligently to build additional programs within its unemployment computer system to process the other revised federal benefits and bring much needed relief to eligible applicants. Any delayed benefits will be paid retroactively, if necessary, and applicants will be compensated.

DLIR said it will make announcements through its website, press releases, on the unemployment insurance portal and at bit.ly/3hXwB7a, as it implements the provisions of the COVID-19 relief bill.

DLIR also noted that none of the PUA benefits, nor unemployment benefits of any kind, are available to employees who are dismissed for cause, leave their job without cause, refuse to return to work, or refuse to receive payment in full-time.

DLIR said that attempts to collect benefit payments in these situations can be seen as fraudulent and that the job termination investigation is part of the eligibility determination process.

For more information on unemployment insurance and other labor issues, visit the FAQ at bit.ly/35kxAcw.