When Will The $300 Extra Weekly Unemployment Start Being Paid in My State? News and Updates on Payment With PUA and PEUC Claims

[2022 Update] The $300 supplementary payment made in 2020 and 2021, ended in all states on September 6th, 2021 (some states ended it earlier).

Unless claims are in the adjudication process, At this stage all retroactive payments (including those for PUA and PEUC) have also been processed and no new payments are being made.

An extension of unemployment benefits, including the $300 payment, is not likely for 2022 and beyond unless economic conditions deteriorate significantly. I will post updates as they come to light.

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The latest (ARPA) stimulus package was passed by Congress and signed into law by the President Biden on March 11th, 2021. It includes further extensions to pandemic unemployment programs (PUA and PEUC) and an extra $300 weekly FPUC supplementary UI payment. The latest supplementary $300 payment will be paid over 25 weeks starting from week of March 15th, 2021 to September 6th, 2021. This is in addition to the previous extension covering 11 weeks from December 27th, 2020 to March 14th, 2021. Eligible payments will be made retroactively in cases where state unemployment agencies face delays with rolling out system updates to process these payments.

The $300 weekly unemployment payment will be made above and beyond any regular state or enhanced federal unemployment payment and require eligible claimants to certify regularly according to their state UI agency guidelines. Claimants will need to be eligible for at least $1 of an underlying unemployment benefit to receive the $300 supplemental payment under the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) program.

You do not need to take any additional action to receive this supplemental payment. States are slowly rolling out these payments for different groups of claimants starting with those already getting regular UI and state extended benefits (active claimants). Those who have exhausted benefits prior to the extensions being rolled out or new claimants will only be able to get payments once their underlying claim is approved.

I will update dates in the table below as states implement these guidelines and start making making actual payments. Please leave a comment if you find updated or incorrect information reflected in the table and I will review/update accordingly. Details on why this payment could be delayed due to PEUC or PUA roll-outs are discussed in this video.

State unemployment departments and agencies will be responsible for disbursing these benefit payments, similar to the $300 LWA and earlier $600 FPUC supplementary unemployment programs. Given the many challenges and various payment issues across states with earlier supplementary UI benefit programs, I expect this to take some time to be rolled out and require retroactive payments to get claimants caught up. So stay tuned and subscribe to get the latest updates. You can also see this $300 FPUC video for more details on this program.


Lost Wages Assistance (LWA) program – Now Expired

The temporary $300 unemployment benefit under the Lost Wages Assistance (LWA) program funding has now been paid in all states who participated in the program. The program expiry date was December 27th, 2020 and this means that any new or retroactive payments under this program will NO longer be paid out going forward. This has been replaced by the new $300 FPUC payment discussed above.

This supplementary payment was a temporary, but much needed benefit for unemployed or underemployed workers who lost the supplementary $600 FPUC weekly payment at the end of July. There was a lot of confusion on when the $300 would actually be paid by state UI agencies which led to the creation of the LWA state tracker table below, which shows the payment status and actual or estimated future date claimants can expect their first weekly unemployment payment, if eligible. You can also see the 1000+ comments from readers that share their experiences around the LWA payment, including some very useful tips if you are facing issues getting your $300 LWA payment.

All states that applied and were approved by FEMA were only initially awarded three weeks of funding – covering the weeks of August 1st, 8th and August 15th.  After that, states and territories will need to submit a Lost Wages Additional Week Request one week at a time for funding to pay claims for subsequent weeks. However any additional funding is subject to the $44 billion budget that is available for this program and it is almost certain that funding will run out before the December 27th expiry of this program, unless Congress approves additional funding via a formal UI benefits extension.

In fact, at this stage approved states will only get a maximum of 6 weeks of funding (weeks covering August 1st to September 5th) for the LWA program per recent FEMA guidance to state labor and unemployment agencies that have already made several weeks of payments. Several states which started making the $300 payments earlier than other states have already been notified that their LWA funding allotment has run out and no additional funding beyond will be approved. Note however that some states like Florida will only be applying for and paying 4 weeks of LWA benefits, since they didn’t meet some of the LWA program qualification rules (details here).

Lost Wages Assistance (LWA) State Payment Date and Status

StateLWA StatusStart DateMax WeeksWeekly Amount
AlabamaPaidSep 6th6$300
AlaskaPaidNov 6th
(see estimate details)
6$300
ArizonaPaidAug 17th6$300
ArkansasPaidSep 12 (up to Oct 2nd)6$300
CaliforniaPaidSep 7th (Phase 1)
Sep 15th (Phase 2)
6$300
ColoradoPaidFrom Sep 18th
(in batches)
6$300
ConnecticutPaidSep 17th5$300
DelawarePaidSep 18th6$300
District of ColumbiaPaidFrom Sep 28th
(in batches)
6$300
FloridaPaidSep 8th4$300
GeorgiaPaidSep 12th6$300
HawaiiPaidSep 23rd
(see schedule)
6$300
IdahoPaidSep 12th6$300
IllinoisPaidSep 8th6$300
IndianaPaidWeek of Sep 21st6$300
IowaPaidSep 9th6$300
KansasPaidFrom Oct 6th
(see schedule/details)
6$300
KentuckyPaidSep 15th6$400
LouisianaPaidAug 27th6$300
MainePaidSep 12th6$300
MarylandPaidSep 12th (schedule)6$300
MassachusettsPaidSep 7th6$300
MichiganPaidSep 10th6$300
MinnesotaPaidSep 4th6$300
MississippiPaidSep 10th6$300
MissouriPaidAug 23rd6$300
MontanaPaidAug 30th6$400
NebraskaPaidSep 18th (First 3 weeks)
From Sep 20th (remaining payments)
6$300
NevadaPaying 5th and 6th weeksFrom Oct 20th (First 3 weeks)
From Nov 11 (Last 3 weeks)
(see DETR updates)
6$300
New HampshirePaidSep 12th6$300
New JerseyPaidFrom Oct 22nd
(see more details)
6$300
New MexicoPaidSep 10th6$300
New YorkPaidSep 14th6$300
North CarolinaPaidSep 6th (4 weeks)
Sep 16th (2 weeks)
6$300
North DakotaPaidSep 17th6$300
OhioPaidFrom Sep 14th (on PUA)
From Sep 20th (others)
6$300
OklahomaPaidSep 23rd6$300
OregonPaidOctober 2nd6$300
PennsylvaniaPaidSep 17th (first 3 wk batch)
Sep 24th (second 3wk batch)
6$300
Rhode IslandPaidSep 6th6$300
South CarolinaPaidSep 25th
(7 to 14 days processing)
6$300
South DakotaNo PaymentDid not enroll6-
TennesseePaidAug 30th6$300
TexasPaidAug 23rd6$300
UtahPaidSep 9th to Sep 23rd
(paying in batches)
6$300
VermontPaidWeek of Sep 14th6$300
VirginiaPaidOct 19th
(see payout details)
6$300
WashingtonPaidSep 22nd6$300
West VirginiaPaidSep 16th6$400

WisconsinPaidFrom Oct 22nd6$300
WyomingPaidSep 13th6$300

Payment Start date is when the state actually started processing LWA payments OR is the estimated date of the first payment processing based on available information. Note: Due to bank processing delays, it can take 2 to 4 days after the noted dates for benefits to hit your bank account or debit card. Please see links to more information in the table or your state UI website for specific payment status. If you find any mistakes or have updates, please leave a comment below and I will update table to help others.

What if my state has started making payments, but I don’t see my $300?

Claimants in most states do not need to take any action to receive the new benefits available in this program. The additional benefits will be added automatically for all claimants who are eligible and have certified for the relevant week. Their self-certification will ask them to confirm they were unemployed or partially unemployed due to COVID-19. See more FAQs on this here.

However if your state has started making payments and you haven’t received payments you need to first confirm you are eligible. This means you must be receiving at least $100 in weekly unemployment benefit payments (pre tax and before any other deductions). This includes claimants receiving any type of regular unemployment insurance benefits as well as those receiving PUA and PEUC benefits.

If you are eligible and you have not received a payment in several weeks then you will need to contact your state UI agency to ensure the claim has been processed and is not being held up due to fraud, missing/incorrect payment details or due to a weekly or bi-weekly certification issue.

See more in this article on Why Your $300 Unemployment Has Not Been Paid or Delayed.

My state has been approved and the LWA tracker says payments are being made, but when will I get my payment?

The tracker provides an actual or estimated date for the when the LWA payments start being processed by the state. If a start date has been officially published by the state, you will see the status updated to “paying now.” Otherwise it is estimate based on FEMA guidelines or if confirmed by several sources online. However this date (week start date in many cases) may not be the same as the date the actual UI payment will hit your back account or debit card. The actual date you may see the money could be several days after the official state processing start date and tied to your normal UI payment cycle. You will need to confirm via your UI online portal or state agency for the exact payment date.

Also note the payment date is generally the date when payment starts. In many states, due to volume of people being paid, claims are paid out over several days (in batches, based on SSN or First/Last Name). And given processing by banks to disburse these payments via direct deposit or debit cards can take 1 to 2 days, it may take several days after the first payment date for you to receive your payment.

I got my $900 back payment but no payments after that. Why?

The first state LWA grant approved by FEMA was only for three weeks. Hence the $900 payment (3 x $300) is what most people are seeing first, less any taxes or withholding. Subsequent $300 payments are approved and paid on a week by week basis. This includes retroactive payments which will also be staggered. Rest assured if you are eligible for past weeks you will get your payment.

Also the maximum number of weeks that can be paid under the LWA program is 6, which means the maximum payment in most states is $1800 (or $2400 if the state was paying $400 p/week). After the payment of 6 weeks, you will revert to what you were getting under existing unemployment programs.

I am got my first week of payments but not subsequent weeks.

Kristin asked, “My son just got his first payment for the weeks of 08/23 thru 08/29 and 08/30 thru 09/05. He got the extra $300 for the week of 08/23 – 08/29, but did not get the extra $300 for the week of 08/30 thru 09/05. We are in Texas. Do you know why he got it the first week, but not the second week?

Every week is processed separately by the state UI agency subject to FEMA funding. So you may be seeing some variability due to delays in approval, claim processing and eventual bank/debit card payment.

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1,382 thoughts on “When Will The $300 Extra Weekly Unemployment Start Being Paid in My State? News and Updates on Payment With PUA and PEUC Claims”

  1. Arkansas ended there pua early, putting us ,the self employed in a state of panic, the so called governor, doesn’t realize that us baby boomers ,no matter what they do can’t get jobs, even though your fit as a fiddle and able to work every thing is done on line and when they see your age the just skip to the next application. Then top it off ,they cut the ebt food stamps also,so many of my friends, and now I included ,will be forced to leave our homes, and live in our cars, or if lucky to have kids move in with them, I can’t burden my struggling children, and there family ,I’m opt for my car before I do that .All us Arkansasns are pretty upset with how our state rules our lives,.

    Reply
  2. I need help,please I’ve given up multiple, multiple times…..I’ve lost everything!!!! My husband my business,my home my car and much more because of this pandemic….I just can’t get this correct…..I had too make a report last year on someone stealing my identity….red flags after red flags….I can’t back date my claim….idk,I’ve only seen maybe 5,000 in total I am at wits ends.I now no longer know what too do or where too go I can’t even take care of my children…..thank god for mother’s but shes very limited also….

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  3. I live in Alabama and I am self-employed or was until covid-19 hit and as time went by and no work started back up I lost everything ! I have been getting Pua but took 4 months for my first checks.I don’t believe that they a clue what they are doing right now and I say that because my claim was good and i still had money on it $6300 they said I had an account review to call the center make an appointment for a call back the next day, lol it took me 8 weeks and i thought everything was fixed just needed picture ID I did not get updated so had to call back that was 2 more weeks and got a man that understood and was on it…..geez what now they said i didn’t pick a reason why on my weekly claim and disqualified me. What the heck ,now want me to file a new claim I just did that in march its not time for one until next march! Could anyone tell me what to do next…please

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  4. I got my 300 today. But I thought nj was supposed to be retroactive. People keep lieing. Nj is good for this. This is really a disservice to American workers. That mean if they didn’t retroactive the money than we don’t get it. And that means we don’t get the full 11 weeks so that money goes in the pocket of nj.

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    • Louisiana workforce commission sucks I been calling all week and weekend and cannot get anybody on the phone I received a payment 12/27 and 01/05 and that’s it I received my final determination on 01/08 and received nothing after that they say your claim roll over don’t file a new one claim I only received one payment that it

      Reply
  5. Pennsylvania has indeed kept its promise of paying the folks on regular UC , as for the folks on EB (extended benefits) they haven’t received a thing since December 26th. Now they have updated their site stating that EB payments will not be paid until PEUC completes. To me this means In March/April. They haven’t updated anyone on EB , except stating there’s a known issue they are working on and NOT to contact them. As for PEUC it’s been updated that they will pay for 1 week a d then update further when they know more. PUA – nothing has been said for them.

    It’s a joke, I know plenty of people facing eviction, near starving, since when they had Unemployment it disqualified them from food stamps, and to requalify they need to go a full month with little to no income.

    The EB is the most worrisome of all, if there update to their site means what it says, those people will be going 3 months with no payment. That’s criminal.

    Reply
  6. Hello all,

    In New Jersey, as of 10:00AM, Tuesday, January 12th 2021, claimants have yet to receive any of the new “11 Weeks of $300 Unemployment Bonus as per NJDLWD. I find this to be an understatement but, it’s a MASSIVE DISSERVICE to the Residents & Employees of this state. First of all, NJ was boasting about how they’re one of the “FIRST STATES”, to issue these payments to their recipients as they “Planned Ahead & Anticipated” that the $600 Program would be reinstated. Furthermore, they claimed that claimants would see these benefits in their accounts as early as Tuesday, January 12th 2021. However, there was this disclaimer attached to that same memo. It read, “after successfully user testing”.

    OK… which one is it? After user testing or on 1/12/21? The problem i have is the fact that they FLAT OUT LIED by saying that they’ve already started issuing benefits to their recipients ahead of other states. Perhaps, to draw attention away from the fact that they totally left people in the dark with the FEMA LWA payments? Thus, trying to get ahead of any backlash? Beforehand? Its absurd how much they lie, but to mention how evasive Governor Murphy is when asked questions. Rather comical because he sat there blaming Trump for all of this nonsense (which does have some truth to it), but yet… he answers questions just like Trump would. Then to top it all off, anytime he’s asked a question, there’s ALWAYS… ALWAYS… ALWAYS… A BETTER PERSON TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION! IT’S NEVER HIM.

    I CAN MOCK HIM NOW:

    Q: UGH… MR. GOVERNOR, Can you tell us when workers should expect to see these payments hit they’re accounts?
    A: Ugh… that’s a good question for Anthony or Robert. I don’t have the answer to that question. But ugh, I’ll have one of them answer that for you. Are they available now? Oh no? Ok. I’ll have to have them get back to you on that question. (As he pretends to write it down on his “memo pad” with a pen with no ink.)

    Q: Governor, can you tell us when you’ll be allowing businesses to reopen?
    A: Ugh… that’s a question for Judy. Is Judy here? Judy, you wanna take this question? I mean… cause you’re the expert here. (Oh sure Mr. Governor…..)

    Q: Governor, I thought there were limits on Social Gathering in New Jersey. Can you explain what happened in Ocean County this weekend?
    A: Oh yes.. there is but I’ll allow Pat Callahan to elaborate more on that. Pat… (Ugh… yeah Governor.)

    Meanwhile, he wants to “PRETEND” like things are running smoothly but can’t answer a single question without first dumping it off into someone else. Guess that’s how he sleeps better at night. It’s always someone else’s problem. What the hell is he even here for? If every time a question is asked he gets to dodge it?!

    Oh… let’s not forget how “tirelessly” his office has been working. And… how those who haven’t received your unemployment benefits in over 10 months, rest assured you’ll get every dime you’re owed. (HELL… that’s like writing a post dated check or writing a check against an account with no money in it or closed. It’s not worth anything.

    I tell you what though… here’s a fact. I can promise you that he WILL NOT… WILL NOT… GET ANOTHER TERM. YOU WATCH!

    THE WAY HE’S HANDLED THIS PANDEMIC IS DISGRACEFUL, TO SAY THE LEAST. Just like he smiles when his checks clears his account for the crappy job he’s doing (from our tax dollars), will be the same way voters will be smiling come the next election year. I mean… in all honesty, he shouldn’t be collecting one dime until EVERY SINGLE CLAIMANT RECEIVED HIS/HER BENEFITS! PERIOD!

    I have a problem with that. You’re in an office, where you’re supposed to be working for the people. And as compensation for your work, you pull a salary from the workers tax dollars. Right? Well… if you’re not doing your job efficiently and effectively, then why are you still entitled to a salary? He claims to feel the pain we feel. Oh really? How so? Aren’t you lights working? Don’t you have heat and food on the table? Do you worry about the repo man coming for your vehicle? Or the bank for your house? Oh wait… you live in a mansion that “WE THE PEOPLE” pays for. You get a Personal Armed driver with a police escort. (No need for a vehicle or gas.) Oh but you feel it huh?

    Was it before you became numb? Oh but he’ll feel it come November.

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    • Not to mention if an employee at McDonald’s were to screw up really bad, they’ll be out of a job. Am I right or right? If a Doctor were to misdiagnosed or messed up, they’ll be sued and lose their license. If a pilot were to make an error while flying, it’s safe to assume that they too would lose their license or at the very least have some repercussions behind it.

      If an CEO said something racist, they’ll be asked to step down. Right?

      But meteorologist and politicians can be wrong 100% of the time but keep their jobs?

      Ugh… can I have an application too?

      Reply
    • I’m in Louisiana and I received the benefits last week now this week I didn’t get nothing what’s the hold up

      Reply

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