Mainers to receive extra $300 in weekly unemployment benefits

Auguta, Maine (WABI) - An extra 300 dollars will be added to Mainer's weekly un-employment benefits.

The Maine Department of Labor announcing Wednesday that a deal to receive to receive federal Lost Wages Assistance funding was signed.

The money is coming from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) through the disaster relief program but will be distributed through the Maine Department of Labor.

“While we move to distribute these temporary benefits, we continue to hope that Congress will step up to provide comprehensive, long-term support to Maine people.”
Maine Department of Labor Commissioner Laura Fortman

They’ll provide funding for three weeks, then weekly upon request, until the money runs out. The program is set to expire on December 27, 2020.

Per current guidance from FEMA and the U.S. Department of Labor, individuals are eligible for Lost Wages Assistance if:

they are eligible for unemployment benefits
they are eligible for a weekly benefit of at least $100
they are unemployed, or are partially unemployed, as a direct result of the COVID-19.

Once the program is implemented, benefits will be paid retroactively starting with the week ending August 1, 2020. The payments will be made automatically based on unemployment claims received; individuals will not need to call or apply separately for this benefit.

The department of labor says it needs about three weeks to set up the payment process.

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