CLEVELAND, Ohio – While many people have started receiving their extra $ 300 a week in unemployment benefits, others may have to wait a month or more to file for expanded benefit claims that were part of the stimulus package signed shortly after Christmas. , Ohio head of unemployment said Wednesday.
Kim Henderson, director of the Ohio Department of Employment and Family Services, blamed the delay in fully approving the provisions of the December stimulus bill on the need to reprogram Ohio’s unemployment system to meet the new federal requirements.
“I know and understand that it’s a long time,” said Henderson. “We are working diligently to pressure our supplier, Deloitte (Consulting), to increase the readiness of this program.”
She said payments will be retroactive for every week that a person has been eligible since December 27.
Henderson said at least eight states have already started the new pandemic unemployment program – Alabama, Maine, Minnesota, Oregon, South Carolina, Utah, Vermont, Washington – although none that she knew were using Deloitte.
For Ohio, Henderson said:
* The $ 300 a week in extra unemployment benefits is now being paid to those who did not exhaust their benefits before the initial CARES program ended on December 27.
* On January 31 (“I hope before”), people who have exhausted their benefits through traditional unemployment will be able to apply to resume receiving benefits retroactively. Eleven weeks were added, up to 50 in total.
* Until February 6, registrations must be open to new participants in the special pandemic unemployment program known as PUA (Pandemic Unemployment Assistance). This is the program for people who would otherwise not qualify for unemployment because they are self-employed or because their salary is very low.
* Until February 26, enrollment must be open to those who were already on the PUA program, but they exhausted their benefits before the initial stimulus expired on December 27. Eleven weeks were added, up to 50 in total.
In addition to extending the duration of unemployment benefits, the recent stimulus package included an additional payment of $ 300 per week for up to 11 weeks – $ 3,300 in all – for unemployment beneficiaries.
For both traditional unemployment and the PUA program, Henderson said that no new applications will be accepted after March 13 and that both extensions will expire on April 10, according to the most recently approved stimulus package.
However, further stimulus is likely under President Joe Biden and the new Congress. Biden proposed an extra $ 400 a week, extensions until September and a new round of stimulus checks for employees and the unemployed.
Henderson started the press conference on Wednesday by addressing a social media post she said was circulated by a woman who said her grandson, as a result of the state unemployment agency’s response to the pandemic, died of suicide.
Henderson said he would like to “express sincere sadness and regret for the loss he is experiencing”.
Others on Wednesday sent Henderson an email directly about the post, with one person blaming himself for the death of anyone related to it “directly on my shoulders,” Henderson said.
Henderson replied in an email: “I reject your responsibility for the death of anyone,” adding that his team has been working hard for months and millions of Ohioans are benefiting from programs run by his food assistance, unemployment assistance, services children, alimony, day care and workforce development.
“I get up every morning with one thing in mind, leading with integrity the best I can,” said Henderson.
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