If You Qualify for Extended Unemployment via PUA or PEUC You Will Get the Extra $300 FPUC Unemployment Stimulus

Congress and President Biden have now passed into law the $2 trillion stimulus package, also known as the American Rescue Plan (ARP). It includes further unemployment program extensions until September 6th, 2021 for the PUA, PEUC and FPUC programs originally funded under the CARES act in 2020 and then extended via the CAA COVID Relief Bill. You can see more on the extensions in this article. But it has been confirmed, like the previous extensions discussed below, that you will get the extra $300 p/week if you qualify and have an active claim under the PUA and PEUC programs.

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[CAA funded Unemployment benefits extension to March 14th, 2021] The $900 billion COVID-19 Relief stimulus package has now been passed by Congress and signed into law by the President. It includes extensions to pandemic unemployment programs (PUA and PEUC) and an extra $300 FPUC supplementary UI payment. The supplementary payment, half the original $600 FPUC, will cover 11 weeks starting from the December 27th, 2020 and go until March 14th, 2021. If you are eligible for extended PUA and PEUC you will automatically get the $300 payment during the extension period. You can see more about this new payment and rules in this article.


[July 2020 update after $600 FPUC expired] There has been a fair bit of confusion around the three main and widest impacting enhanced unemployment programs put in place as part of the CARES act to deal with the Coronavirus-COVID related job losses and/or furloughs. The main payment from the federally funded enhanced unemployment programs is the $600 FPUC. This expires at the end of July 2020 and you must qualify for at least $1 in regular state unemployment benefits to get this payment. The actual weeks for the last payment will be between July 24th and 31st depending on your state’s unemployment benefits payment schedule, excluding retroactive payments. While there has been a lot of talk around extending the $600 payment nothing has yet been approved in Congress.

The two other major unemployment stimulus programs are more around extending unemployment coverage (PEUC) and expanding eligibility (PUA) for regular state unemployment to gig, freelance and contract workers who now make up a large part of the workforce and would not have qualified for regular state unemployment under existing rules. These programs now allow for extended eligibility for regular state UI benefits starting with weeks of unemployment beginning on or after January 27, 2020 for PUA and after March 28th, 2020 for PEUC. Both programs have an eligibility end date on or before December 31, 2020.

So under PEUC regular state UI coverage is essentially extended for eligible unemployed workers who have exhausted existing state and federal UIC benefits for another 13 weeks between April 2020 and December 2020. PUA is for up to 39 weeks as provides regular state UI and includes the PEUC extension but is back-dated to the end of January 2020 for eligible claims. Both these programs are available up to the last unemployment week in December 2020. This would be week ending December 26th or December 27th.

Will I get the $600 payment if I qualify for PUA or PEUC?

Yes and that is why getting regular state UIC (unemployment insurance compensation) under PUA or PEUC for many workers is critical if they have exhausted or were not originally eligible for state unemployment insurance benefits. But you will only get the weekly $600 FPUC payment in addition to your state UI until the end of July (retroactive to April in most states). After July 31st and unless the FPUC programs is extended, all you may be eligible for is regular state unemployment payments.

The key item to note here and what has caused concerns and/or confusion is that from August 2020 people will stop getting the $600 extra unemployment payment and limited to state unemployment benefit maximums. For many people this will be a considerable drop in unemployment income support and if they are no closer to getting their normal pre-crisis working income then would likely face some pretty severe financial hardship.

Note – Retroactive unemployment payments may still be made through the first few weeks of August but this will only apply to the weeks that you were eligible during April to July when the FPUC program was in effect. New claimants will not be able to get the extra benefits after July 30, even if they meet eligibility criteria.

The PUA and the PEUC programs will continue through the end of the year which will still provide support to many people but at much lower levels than they currently get with the extra $600 weekly unemployment payment. So plan ahead for this or pray for an extension of unemployment benefits (and another stimulus check).

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46 thoughts on “If You Qualify for Extended Unemployment via PUA or PEUC You Will Get the Extra $300 FPUC Unemployment Stimulus”

  1. yes was approved for pua on 04/20 and finally after almost a year I got ahold of a lady that was really on the employers help line and she was nice enough to help me when she really wasn’t supposed to and I got some payments not nearly what is owed to me so I am in ky and I was approved in April of 2020 so they have to backdate till then right

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    • Hey I got pia letter from mar 2020 al didn’t get any fed 300/600 jus 49 state they end programs jun 19 can I expect payment before do date??. Any body Alabama unemployment retroactive question for

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  2. After fighting UIA in Michigan (for SEVEN MONTHS!!!!!!) they finally waived the white flag and paid out my benefits, dating all the way back to March 2020. I can’t believe it’s real? I can’t believe I fought this disgusting, bloated, bureaucratic, evil agency all on my own and won. Nobody would help me. Not my local elected representatives…..no one. Though I won, I’m even more angry now than I was when they were denying my benefits, illegally and unjustly! They should have to pay interest on the thousands of dollars worth of payments they withheld, leaving me twisting in the wind, in utter financial ruin. They @holes shut everything down, destroyed my revenue stream, then turned their noses up when I asked for what was rightfully mine. My advice to you all is, don’t give up. Keep fighting. Never concede. These people WANT to screw you over. Don’t let them. Exhaust all available options you have. File every protest you can. Contest everything. If I can defeat this evil empire, you can too!

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    • YAH their doing that exact same thing to me, after calling repressive office they did approve the claim but when they called to tell me. Y claim was approved and asked about putting in request for back dating to the time I became unemployed they told me I can only get from the time I filed! Which is alot of money their screwing me out of! Regular unemployment gives from 5he time you were unemployed minus one week waiting period. Just like social security claim they have to pay from the date u were injured not the date of filing! The playi g with people’s lifes!

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  3. It seems since the 2 week break things have become even more confusing but what I’m hearing mostly is that people are being robbed of their retroactive payments and the fed money. My claim was dated June 21st 2020 because it took me 2 months to even get it into their system! I had to end business March 6th 2020. First my claim stated zero award and disqualified and I was told to refile on Oct 5th. Then I’m paid the PEUC on the disqualified claim ?? but I haven’t even been paid to the start date of the claim, let alone the retroactive payments and then received a new award for PUA started October 4th 2020, but I haven’t received a certification just like the last claim. How am I supposed to get paid when they never send the certifications. They say they close a claim and we have to reopen if we don’t file correctly or on time but they don’t send them.

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  4. I didn’t know of the pua program till recently, I became eligible September 9 and started receiving payments for pua only.. I know I am eligible to receive back dated payments till the date I was out of work bit will I actually get back dated payments??

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    • Check your certification page. You have to manually go in and certify all the dates. The dates are there BUT YOU must certify them. When u certify the dates this automatically produces the payment that is already there but waiting for you to certify the dates. YOU must do each date manually. Hope this helps!

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  5. This is absolutely insane. I need my money and I need it NOW!! Why does the senate majority leader Mitch McConnell feel like he can just get away with not providing relief to us, Americans, the ones who pay his check. I think it’s time for a major reform of the system and we need to VOTE out these scumbags. Sure, bail out Wallstreet no problem, but bail out the working class everyday American citizens, NO, too much for the government to do I suppose :-(

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    • You need to check your facts. It was Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats who broke for recess without coming up with a solution for the people. They went on vacation They went on vacation, leaving us twisting in the wind and unable to pay our bills. A Republican provided us a chance at an additional $400 a week and Mitch McConnell and the Republicans have already put forth a plan to continue on giving us $300 extra week. What have the Democrats done? Provide cover for those who burn our cities and loot our local stores and not much else.

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      • Jose, You really need to check your facts! If it wasn’t for the Republicans blocking it, we would have gotten the PUA at $600 a week extended thru Jan. 31, 2021. The Republicans wouldn’t let it go past july 31, 2020. They are the ones who block it because they hold the majority in the Senate. Before Congress left for break, the Democarts, including Pelosi wer trying to get the $600 or even $400 extended but the Republicans blocked it.

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        • Could it be that the average rent in AZ is $1200 a month and that is without Air, Water, etc. and our unemployment is $240 a week. The democrats have the right idea. Trump can give major tax breaks to large companies, but when it comes to helping normal working Americans we can suffer. Thank God Nancy and others are sticking to their morals.

        • Also democrat in congress actually passed a new relief bill called hero’s act back in May which would have extended the $600 benefits along with many other things that are desperately neeede by many Americans suffering as a result of the pandemic, but when it was sent to congress, McConnel refused to even allow it to go to the floor for debate, he added it to the 200 plus other bills that Democrats in congress have passed this year to help the Americans people, but that when sent to senate, McConnel and republicans refused to allow even debates, he’s blocked all 200 plus bills congress has passed this year alone from even being allowed in the floor of senate for debate. Make no mistake, McConnel and republicans are the reason this has been so much harder than it needed to be on many, many Americans. They don’t care, period

      • The Democrats actually passed a relief bill in May(before additional $600 ended)that would have extended that benefit through to next year, as well as provided extension options for those who had exhausted benefit weeks but were still out of work due to covid. So that relief package called Hero’s Act was passed in Democrats in congress back in May, however when it went to senate McConnel refused to even bring it to the floor, and republicans blocked all efforts for help bc they were offended by helping everyday working folks with additional financial benefits for those out of work bc of Covid. That is still the case, so please understand the republicans and McConnel are the only reason this wasn’t dealt with back in the spring before the Cares act and additional benefits ever expired, bc Republicans and McConnel are truly offended by the idea of given any type of aid or support to anyone other than themselves, there donors, and the super pacs. They are disgusting!

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    • I’m in the same boat. My unemployment was just exhausted and I’m a corporate cook. No jobs out there right now with everyone working from home. Believe me I tried. I never received the letter with the access code to apply to the pandemic extension. The website says if you didn’t get the letter to apply over the phone. When you call it just says the line is overloaded.

      If anyone out there has a secret on how to reach someone at unemployment I’m all ears. It’s bad enough that we receive the send worse weekly rate in the country, but we have to deal with getting it too.

      I’m definitely voting for Biden. We need some national response. I’m glad I don’t have kids in this crap world.

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  6. I’m just trying to get the 600 dollar a week be if it for the 4 months. I was going to be starting a new jobi. Arizona in March but the virus canceled any work I would of had. And when I tried to sign up for unemployment and the FPUC i had issues online but finally got it to work on July 26 button the site shows no 600 dollar benefits even available even though I should of gotten them at least till when I would of started my job back in March. Now I don’t know what to do. Does any one have any answers that can help m?

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    • I’m in the same boat. I filed mid-July, exactly 5 weeks and one day ago. My backpay has stated, “processed – Payment Pending for 5 freaking weeks. Really frustrating.

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      • you have to continuously calling the unemployment line until you get through. I had to call over 40 times before I finally got through.My husband also had to call he had seven weeks pending payment. Can you finally get through you will probably be on hold again for 30 minutes or so until someone picks up. When they do be nice! They are working hard to help as many people as they can. Let them know that your payments have been sitting pending that you need your money to make your utility payments etc. they will release your payments and you will receive your money within a few days. What is happening is they are going through the system and releasing payments. But if you call they will release your payments at that time rather than whenever they would get to your claim. My husband received all seven weeks at one time and has continued to receive his payments going forward. I also receive my payments however two from earlier months have not been paid so I will be sitting on hold again.

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    • My 18 year old son stopped working a p/t job in early March 2020. He applied for unemployment on June 24 but was not eligible. He then applied for PUA and was approved. He starting receiving PUA benefits 4 weeks later but never received the $600 a week payment. He called them and they did an adjustment and he received the retroactive money within 2 days. Please call as soon as possible. It may be difficult to get through but dont give up. You are definitely entitled to the retroactive $600 dated from March to July 2020.

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        • The phone number is 1-888-209-8124. You need your social security number and pin number. They are open 8am until 730 pm. The best times to call are early am or late pm. It’s common to get cut off but you have to keep calling back. You will eventually get through and please have patience and be prepared to hold on the line for up to an hour.

      • what number did he call i live in NJ and did the exact same thing. i was aproved by aug 21st. but in the email they stated i was eligible. please help thanks

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      • Almost same. Boat. End of Jan qas last employment date..2020. Was not approved for reg uc. Then filed for pua. Start date 5/31/2020. I should get that back back starting in March. Right????.

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    • Unfortunately, you would have had to have an ongoing and approved and active claim that you were making weekly claims on during the time frame of April to July 25-26, when last payment went out. Unless you have been filing your weekly claims, even though you are still wasn’t for it to go through, throughout that whole time you wouldn’t be able to qualify for the additional $600 once it ended the last week of July. Now if you have been filing your claim every week, and your just having a delay on getting the payment from UE, you may be able to get that back pay, but I’m pretty sure those are the parameters for how that works. Good luck

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      • Fortunately the cares act wrote to have ALL claims backdated to the date that you became unemployed due to the pandemic, No matter the date you filed.

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  7. It is sad. Our elected officials are so concerned about politics that they are willing to let the very people that put them in office go hungry , loose their homes, and watch their family suffer. I as a small business owner have been devastated by the pandemic. I have spent all my savings making payroll trying, hoping, praying, for some help.
    cant even get the PPP SBA loan but multi million dollar companies can, and do.
    might loose my business and home. where is the justice ?
    steve cumbee

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  8. I applied for UI three times since March 21 nothing happened until this Sunday it had me certify for the last 2 weeks under Peuc was out of work since March 20 they have not paid me for April March or may and June I don’t understand everything I have I’m losing what is 2 weeks of payments going to do

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  9. I was working at Chestnut hill Hospital as a contractor for property management . I been told not to come back in unless was called and never called .I filed pandemic unemployment the first week of June now I backdated my clean from my last day of work which was the first week of March but never received my back payment with the cares act nor regular payment only from that first week of June I’ve been collecting still owed the back payment from March till the first week of June but it is no longer in my claim summary please tell me what to do who do I contact because none of them are answering? my family my newborn son and my five-year-old we are in
    hardship for money and really need it

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  10. Here’s a thought government makes everyone rich less crime everyone is happy spending money taxes are being paid, who cares there just numbers print out more money more checks , it’s not like the debt will ever be paid anyway , just get rid of everyone wondering what they are going to do next will they have the money to feed their family that week who knows it’s just numbers give it to the people

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  11. I was approved for unemployment benefits as of 6/28/2020 and have certified and received payments for two weeks so far. I have NOT received PUA payments yet, even though the information in the system says that my 1st PUA payment was direct deposited into the bank of America debit card on 7/11/20. The debit card (customer service #) does not list a record of that transaction (nor is it pending). Should I follow up with Bank of America or try to get through to Unemployment (which is virtually IMPOSSIBLE)? Please advise

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  12. Please have the Federal Govt. extend the PUA benefits beyond July, as I have a compromised immune system , I have asthma and am recovering from pneumonia (not related to Covid 19), and I will go back to work when there is a viable vaccine and or the state of emergency is lifted. I work as a driver for ‘rideshare’ (Uber/Lyft) and can not afford to get this virus. My previous occupation was outsourced (publishing), so this is what I do for now.

    Reply

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