Eligible For PUA But Do I Get Back Pay and the $300 FPUC From The Date I Lost My Job Or From The Week That I Filed?

This article was updated following the latest round of Enhanced UI extensions and $300 FPUC Payments until September, 6th, 2021. The legislation for the 2021 UI extensions limited back dating for new or initial claims to March 14th, 2021 under the latest ARP (Biden stimulus bill) extension. Further the $300 FPUC weekly supplementary payments would only be over the extension period for weeks you have an active claim that you certify for.

Anthony posted this comment following his recent eligibility for PUA, “Hi guys I just found out about the PUA. I filed for regular unemployment and was denied. I got a email stating that I was eligible for the PUA and today was my first day to claim it. I claimed for 2 weeks no problem. My question is about the $300 enhanced unemployment (FPUC) and if I get back pay from the date I lost my job or do I just start getting the 300 from the week that I filed?

The answer to this question may vary depending on the state in which you claim unemployment, but generally speaking and while the PUA and FPUC programs are subject to different timelines, if you qualified for the PUA program between when the extra $300 FPUC was available, you would be eligible for the supplementary weekly benefit which is payable during these period. This includes backdated payments for coverage weeks you were eligible for PUA due to COVID-19 related reasons. The $600 FPUC, originally funded under the CARES act, was available from Mid-March 2020 to the end of July 2020. The more recent $300 FPUC is available between the week ending December 27th, 2002 and March 14th, 2021 (under the CAA extension) and March 15th to September 6th (under the Biden ARP extension).

Because you can only get the supplementary FPUC payment while you are getting some form other other unemployment (E.g. PUA) and you need to certify weekly for enhanced unemployment benefits, you can only go back to the date you filed your claim. This should in most cases be backdated to when you lost your job, because one week waiting periods have been waived to get the pandemic unemployment benefits.

In most states retroactive PUA and FPUC payments will be paid in one lump-sum one to two weeks after you are deemed eligible for benefits. If you only recently became eligible for the PUA program, you may receive you FPUC payment separately the week after your first PUA payment.

You should get a formal PUA benefits determination letter or award notice from your state unemployment agency stating the weekly benefit amount and backdated payments you are eligible for. Please pay attention to additional information that may need to be provided or certification steps to be undertaken to actually get the unemployment benefit paid/processed.

In many states, like New Jersey, unemployed workers must explicitly certify for their PUA claim for past weeks, even if they previously certified their regular unemployment claim for the same week. In other words, because PUA claims are processed separately from regular unemployment claims in several states, certifying information must be completed separately.

New or Initial PUA claims filed after December 27th (when new funding was made available) can only be backdated to December 1st, 2020 or to the first week you were unemployed due to COVID-19, whichever of the two dates is later. Claims field after March 15th, can only be backdated to this date under the latest ARP funded unemployment benefit extension.

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309 thoughts on “Eligible For PUA But Do I Get Back Pay and the $300 FPUC From The Date I Lost My Job Or From The Week That I Filed?”

  1. I am in NY state. I applied for pua, and was approved dating back to 12/06/2020. I have received only 2 payments in the last 2 weeks, for current weekly PUA, which included $300 Federal, and $178 State.
    They owe me like $4700 in backpay on the state, and like $20,000 on the Federal. When and how will this come? I try calling NYS Dept of Labor, but they never answer the phone. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

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    • I’m in this same boat was told the pin was coming 3 emails about the pin that never arrived . September 26 2020 I was approved never any payment .

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      • No pin? You mean you never got the debit card? I got the debit card, and a couple weekly payments, but not the backpay they owe me.

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  2. Have not been able to file for 2 weeks now for PUA mrssage says i cant file until back date is completed.
    How long does back date take

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    • Sibyl, What state are you in? I’m in New Mexico and they seem to automatically deny any back dates here. I appealed cause they denied so quickly and my hearing is in early Sept. I have been getting benefits since 5/17, but no backdate unless I win my appeal.

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      • Im in Az Ive been fighting for not only my PUA but for my backdated benifits since august,2020.
        Finaly in Jan2021 I was approved for PUA- For 1 week, then went throubh a 3 month REdetermination of eligibilty, and went through 2 appeals, the first the JUdge stated I was eligible, and entitled, But the Computger Sysrtem Az uses (vosnet) erronously stated in bold letters NOTIN CLAIMANTS FAVOR, I had to appeal again and this time judge stated that he was MODIFING, and AFIRMING his original decision. rhat was in may32021 yesterday I finaly recieved my backdartes payments fropm A, but not my federal benifits. I had hoped that after 13 months this would finaly be the wend of my nitemares concerning PUA. I dont know where to turn, DES wont/cant t3ll you anything, contacting the gov. office, ormy senators.
        I try to contact the DOL, but to no avail, I cant get response. I dont know where to turn, I just finaly learned how to turn on a computer, let alone how to navigate this bad dream. any hjelp would be nice

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        • Same here, took almost two years to get into the computer and got I check but unfortunately, September 2021 pua stopped… tried backdating no response for almost a month, yesterday finally got to speak to EDD specialist to inquire about my request for backdate..I was told there was nothing in the system of that matter so she did a favor of backdating it for me…my dilemma now is I was advised by her to appeal the other half of my backdate which is since April 2020 my original date I tried to apply but..after I was ask to register first…I was not able to get into the system anymore…just keep asking me for my EDD customer number that is supposed to be mailed.. tried to call but no answer… phone just cuts me off due to their high volume of calls…finally got hold of EDD support tech.they told me they can’t find my application dated 4/8/2020…that was Sept 8 2021..after he advised me to go ahead and file a new claim that’s the only time I was able to get into the computer system…no kidding I can’t even turn on the computer..let alone trouble shooting the system why I can’t apply online?

  3. All of you waiting on payment and or back pay need to call not email, your state representatives for help. I’m in Nevada. I waited 15 months with no help only run arounds. I had covid in March and filed from day one. I was approved but not paid till November. Then was part of a mass denial Nevada sent out, trying real hard not to pay legit claims to cover their misuse and fraud payments. I had covid with hospital papers uploaded in portal folks, and was denied in November saying my unemployment wasn’t covid related. LOLOL. REALLY. ?. Anyway, I appealed of course and at that time and now Nevada is running between 9 months and a YEAR BEHIND IN APPEALS. As in a year from appeal filing date. Who can survive 2 years waiting on help meant during covid ? Well Finally I got one state Senator to hear me, he got someone working on my claim, it took 5 days and I’m accepted and waiting on payment within 72 hours. YOUR STATE REPS HAVE THE POWER TO HELP YOUR CLAIM GET REVIEWED. CALL THEM EVERY 2 DAYS TILL THEY GIVE U 5 MINS TO DISCUSS YOUR CLAIM. If your state reps don’t answer, help or fix your claim, VOTE THEM THE HECK OUT OF OFFICE.
    Also get active in your local Facebook groups on this, they keep you updated far better than unemployment does plus you will certainly find hundreds just like you on there, it helps to have support during this stressful time. I WISH YOU ALL THE BEST !! JUST REMEMBER NOBODY FIGHTS FOR YOU BUT YOU !! STAY ACTIVE ON YOUR CLAIM EVERYDAY. That’s the only way your going to find payments don’t give up, GET UP, and make that phone your job everyday…. :-)

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    • Thank you for your encouraging post! My UI dept (New Mexico) denied my backdate because I waited until there were rules about how to certify for PUA (as a self-employed person) posted on the website. I was afraid to apply until I understood the rules. They only posted the info in May and I applied a few days later. They say that is not a good enough reason to backdate my claim. It is not my fault they did not come up with rules for how the system works for self-employed people until May! I asked for to appeal the backdate denial and they scheduled one in September! I can’t believe I have to wait that long–and I’m amazed that this even has to go before a judge. Ridiculous. And, to intimidate me, they added on the Appeal Hearing Notification that the judge will “also be making a decision if I have to pay back all the PUA” that I have gotten up until the hearing. The hearing is to evaluate my reason for the backdate request, but because I had the nerve to request a hearing, they added that “the judge will also decide if you have to pay back your benefits” on there as well. They denied my backdate request almost immediately, which means they didn’t really even consider it–they’re just refusing all (or most) of them.. They should definitely have a higher-level, supervisory person in the office review these denials before getting a judge involved. The judge thing is a huge waste of time and money. I will contact elected officials about this.

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  4. I did not recieve benefits for 6 weeks because my year ran out but I still have money in my account. How do I get my back pua benefits in Nj.

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  5. I have a determination letter from state of Alabama for Pua that dated March 29th 2020 I never start receiving benefits until July and currently start getting 300 in January they basically told me the whole year of 2020 I also supposed to get 113 from the state and they have me only giving me $49 what do I need to do to get my money and why haven’t they been paying with my document state?

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  6. I filed in July2020 and my effective date on claim is March 15,2020. I was denied and appealed which wasn’t until April of 2021 I was granted benefits. I certified all claims from March 2020 to December 2020 and just gave up and stopped certifying weekly until I was approved and started back in May 2021. My weekly certifications are gone from benefits portal from March 2020 to July 2020. My claim effective is March 2020 but my weekly certifications are only from July 2020. What do I do???? Please help

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  7. Can somebody answer my question I was eligible for pua benefits and I was receiving them from July 2020 thru october 2020 and they just stopped giving me me my funds.i wasn’t able to file my weeks anymore…..last week I got on my gov2go app to see new updates and I seen a past overdue of pua weeks needed to be filed…..so they let me file 26 weeks of pua weeks to catch up to current week of filing….am I gonna get back pay for that??

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    • Because you already have an open claim (and not one you just recently filed) you shuold get back pay for weeks you were eligible for once you certify and provide any required documentation.

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    • If you were eligible during that time YES, you will. Upload a self certification letter to your portal explaining your reason for unemployment, how covid affected you, why you did not file those weeks till later. Include claimant #., your full name, DOB, address phone number and last 4 of SS. in your letter.
      Upload that ASAP., then call your local unemployment and tell the rep you uploaded the letter, make sure she sees it then ask the status of your claim. It may very well be the only thing holding up your claim.
      Hope this helps, good luck …..

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  8. Can someone tell me what to do?
    I applied in Sept. and backdated to March( I didn’t have a computer or phone to do it on). I was waiting and waiting to get denied for MONTHS. I just thought that’s how long they were backed up. So, I called in January and the man told me to refile for this quarter and when I get the link for PUA to back date it to March. The quarter was around Dec-April. I got that quarter of PUA but I haven’t received the back pay. I called back and another man told me I need to wait because it’s still being adjudicated. He couldn’t tell me how long to wait. It’s been about a month or more so should I keep waiting? Wish I wouldn’t have waited so long, but I didn’t know.

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    • Who posted this. Do u know Josh. I mean did you. He passed away last March with Covid 19 in Kentucky. Who is this.

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    • On Monday at 8am you can go on the DOL website and get an appointment to speak with a person. Try to log in by 7.55am.

      My ex boss put the wrong date on my PUA Pandemic) date and I have been told if she corrects it they will pay me for the week I missed the payment but she is not responding . So a collegue suggested printing the form and sending it to her but I can’t find the form anywhere online.

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    • I applied for unemployment and was denied, I appeal my claim and haven’t heard anything from anyone, I received a letter that I was eligible for PUA but haven’t anything either how do I file for PUA and get it

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    • I’ve been waiting three months haven’t got anything at all no state no federal no back pay no nothing can’t get ahold of anybody to talk to about it I need help bad if I could just talk to somebody for a few mins I thank it would be fixed. I just don’t know what is to do I’m going under

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  9. I filed Monday for my regular pua unemployment an received it today.I fueled my back pay Tuesday.would I receive it Friday or the following week.can I receive 2 payments in one week.

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    • Where can you file for back pay? I cannot see anything on the portal. I’m a new filer but should get the back pay from December. Do I have too file my first week and then will I get a link sent?

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  10. I got a monetary for pua after I got a denial for regular unemployment and recieve messages that I was now able to file my first week of pua then the following Sunday I received a message to file my 2and week . How long before I can expect to start recieving my benefits?

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  11. Hello I sent in for an backdate cause I lost my job in April I tried to file in may it wouldn’t let me for months so I finally got in in November I sent an email to have it backdated I haven’t heard anything for them since I last to to a lady she told me to keep looking for the weeks to certify and I never got them how can I get my backdated goung…

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    • Hey Alecia you and I are in the exact same boat! I saw this like wow, They have told me the same thing. What city and state are you in? It’s so scary waiting for this money like God I’m about to be homeless and loose everything

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      • I’m with ya both! I’m in Cleveland Oh. I was told to write an email on the back dates to technical support as they would be the ones to do the back pay. I was also told that right now they are handling fraud cases first. So it could be awhile b4 we are backdated. Crazy because I have rent, bills and a kid to worry about. Can’t work now because her school has been closed and now online school it is and she’s only 6 so not like I can leave her home alone! Oil

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        • I’m in northeast Ohio as well and I filed an appeal when is the termination and was re-determined as eligible. They keep telling me all my account has to do is update and $20,000 worth of backpay they never sent me should be in my bank… I literally lost custody of my one-year-old grandson because of having no money I also lost my job in five years this is getting ridiculous

    • Hey Alexis,
      I’m going through the same thing. Fidnt know anything about this origram till end of Nov. I filled on a Friday, approved that Sat and paid that Tues. Then found out I can get back pay from tbe time I had to quit my job beginni g if March because my kids daycare closed. Now she’s in kindergarten and school was closed then opened, closed again now open again but she was diagnosed with an auto immune disease over the summer so she xan not return to school. I have write to 2 Ohio reps already. Then I was told OJFS is work I g in fraud cases first before getting to the backpay people. So who knows how long this is going to take, but I need this backpay ASAP. Since I can not work now due to Civid my bills are adding up. Fingers crossed we get it soon!!

      Reply

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