On December 27, the Continued Assistance for Unemployed Workers Act of 2020 (Continued Assistance Act) was signed into law. Many unemployment provisions are now extended beyond their original expiration date, and the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) program, which expired July 31, resumed the first week of January as a $300 supplement.
The Mississippi Department of Employment Security (MDES) announced last week that it began paying the FPUC $300 weekly supplemental benefit to qualified claimants for the week ending January 2. MDES had paid more than 62,000 claimants as of Friday, January 8, totaling over $18 million in the newly continued $300 supplement of FPUC.
Details on the extensions included in the legislation:
Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation
• Will provide up to 11 weeks of an additional $300 weekly supplemental benefit to eligible claimants.
• Claimants receiving at least $1 of benefits are eligible for the $300 weekly supplemental benefit.
• FPUC will be available to cover weeks of unemployment between the week ending January 2, 2021, and week ending March 13, 2021.
• Weekly certification will be required.
Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA)
• Will provide up to 11 weeks of additional benefits to eligible claimants.
• Claimants will be required to provide documentation of eligibility to qualify for PUA.
• PUA will be available until March 13, 2021, with phase out provisions.
• Weekly certification will be required.
Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation
• Will provide up to 11 weeks of additional benefits to eligible claimants.
• PEUC will be available until March 13, 2021, with phase out provisions.
• Weekly certification will be required.
Anytime new legislation is passed, states must work with the U.S. Department of Labor to ensure program compliance and integrity. Therefore, it is unlikely that all eligible claimants will immediately begin seeing these benefits. MDES is updating the ReEmployMS system to accommodate provisions of the Continued Assistance Act for timely payment of benefits.
More information is located at mdes.ms.gov. Updates will be made as additional information becomes available.
