Hawaii will begin processing the delayed extended unemployment benefits program for thousands of unemployed residents

Hawaii will begin implementing the postponed extension of the pandemic emergency unemployment compensation program to extended unemployment benefits next week.

Officials at the State Department of Labor and Industrial Relations announced today that they have completed system updates to handle the task.

The federal program passed in late December, but Hawaii’s labor authorities said technical problems with the department’s computer system delayed the program’s start for tens of thousands of unemployed Hawaii residents.

PEUC 2 will provide 11 weeks of additional unemployment benefits, which include an additional weekly $ 300 Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation benefit, for those who have exhausted their previous PEUC benefits, which provided 13 weeks of benefits.

The PEUC program has been extended by the Federal Continued Assistance Act and will provide unemployment benefits for the week ending January 2 through March 13. There is a phase-out period between March 14 and April 10, which allows applicants who have a remaining PEUC 2 balance to collect PEUC benefits until April 10.

“We are pleased to have fully restored the PEUC program, on which so many workers in our state depend. These are vital programs that have helped Hawaii residents to support their families as we continue to navigate COVID-19, ”said DLIR director Anne Perreira-Eustaquio in a press release. “While this is a big step forward, we know that there is still a lot of work to do to ensure that everyone receives the benefits to which they are entitled.”

The press release did not say when recipients would start receiving their additional funds.

DLIR will begin processing about 68,000 potential complaints early next week. Officials said the department plans to process batches of 5,000 to 10,000 complaints every night.

According to the DLIR website, applicants do not need to apply for PEUC 2. The Unemployment Insurance Division will send a revised “Monetary Determination” letter that will include PEUC 2 benefits for those eligible. It may take up to two weeks for applicants to receive their revised “Monetary Determination” letter.

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For more information and frequently asked questions, visit: https://labor.hawaii.gov/blog/main/cares-act-extension-update-2-11-21.