Will My PUA and PEUC Unemployment Benefits End Even if I Have a Balance or Weeks Left to Claim at Year End

Regardless of when UI claims started and how many weeks of enhanced PUA or PEUC benefits are available (up to the 75 week maximum), ALL enhanced unemployment benefit program claims are currently set to expire September 4, 2021.  The supplementary $300 FPUC weekly payment and $100 MEUC program payments will also end for all claimants.

After this date any unused claim balances/weeks or new claims won’t be processed unless states expand funding for these programs using emergency COVID stimulus funds and/or move claimants to extended state benefits.

Some states like New Jersey have already announced that eligible claimants who have not collected all their state extended benefits (EB) will transition to the state’s EB program once the PEUC program expires. This will provide up to 13 weeks of extra unemployment.

Unfortunately, unless states expand benefit programs coverage, PUA claimants will not qualify for state extended unemployment benefits.

I’ll post updates as the end dates for enhanced benefit programs approaches and states take action to support jobless claimants. You can follow this site for updates via the options below.

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[2020 CAA Bill Extension] Prior to the passing of the new stimulus bill with enhanced unemployment benefit funding, the answer was Yes. But now that the bill has passed, both PUA and PEUC programs have been extended by 11 weeks for a maximum of 50 weeks. This does not include any state extended benefits being provided in some states. The new funding extension means those who had remaining claim balances will get to keep them and get the 11 week extension after December 26th 2020. Those who had exhausted claim balances earlier in the year will get the additional weeks retroactively to when their balance ran out. See more on how these retroactive payments would work in this article.

Note that the new funding extension is only till March 14th 2021, so if you have weeks left after this point then unless there is another stimulus bill for more pandemic unemployment funding you would then lose any unclaimed weeks.


[November 2020 update] Unfortunately yes. The Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) and Pandemic Emergency unemployment Compensation (PEUC) program’s federal funding (under CARES act) have a hard stop once individuals meet their maximum number of weeks or by the week ending Dec. 26.

So even if eligible recipients have a balance or weeks of benefits left at the year end expiry date, and millions of unemployed workers will be in this boat, they won’t be getting these payments in 2021 unless Congress extends unemployment benefits via a new COVID stimulus package.

The largest share of affected workers with expiry of these federal programs are in California, Texas and New York, Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, and Pennsylvania

Extended state benefits may however be available to some unemployed workers in states where unemployment rates are higher than pre-specified thresholds (see below for further details). See more details here.

2020 Enhanced Unemployment Benefits Flow

2020 to 2021 Retroactive Unemployment Benefits

The year end expiry of PUA and PEUC benefits will also likely mean that payment of any retroactive supplementary benefits under the $600 FPUC and $300 LWA programs will also be unavailable for new claimants who may have been eligible for these programs when there in effect. The payment of further supplementary unemployment benefits will again be dependent on Congress passing a new stimulus bill that includes additional unemployment insurance funding.

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49 thoughts on “Will My PUA and PEUC Unemployment Benefits End Even if I Have a Balance or Weeks Left to Claim at Year End”

  1. So I have a question. I filed a PUA claim in May 2020. I claimed weekly for several months before I actually received any payments. when I did get payments they were for current weeks claimed. I never did receive any of the several months of back payments. The reason being is because I became incarcerated. Now that I am no longer incarcerated are those back payments still owed to me? Or did they also vanish with my remaining balance on my claim once the PUA program ended in sept 2021??

    thanks for your help

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  2. I still have 15900 left on my pua claim a d it’s due to ens Sept 6 can I still get my remaining number g amount
    T

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    • HI I WAS WONDERING IF YOU EVER HEARD ANYTHING BACK CONCERNING THE REMAINING BALANCE ON THE PUA? I TOO HAVE A REMAINING BALANCE AND FROM WHAT I BEEN READING IF THE STATE DOESNT EXTEND THE PROGRAM THE MONEY IS LEFT USED- I AM IN P.A. AND HAVE HEARD NOTHING ON THIS – WHAT A SHAME –

      Reply
  3. If pauc and peuc benefits are ending in texas on june 26th. Will we get our entire balance in one payment because my benefits exceed past june 26th.

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  4. If Florida is going to stop the federal program on June 26 and I still have a 8000 dollar balance in my account will I still get my 490 every two weeks?

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    • Wait what so look i got like 3000 on my. Balance and they say it ends on the 4th butt i certified today the 29 n it expires in 6 days butt how can i get my remainder balace or am i fucked

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  5. You just need to reopen. Go to CLAIMANT services at the bottom it should say submit additional information. Reopen claim. Never start a new claim. 1 claim only. PUA and PEUC are different.

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  6. Hello, I have some confusion going on about my claim as there is a lot of information flying around out there. Currently I am on extended benefits. My claim expires the 13th of March. From what I understand after this next week I continue to file my weekly claims just like I have been, and then I will be switched over automatically to the new 11-week extension. I have not worked since I filed my initial claim due to covid. Is there anything else I have to do? Do I need to file a new claim?

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  7. I still have my full benefits for my PEUC program and I was told when it ended in December after Christmas to sign up for a PUA claim so I did that and now there saying that you didn’t even need to sign up for a PUA claim I just needed to restart my PEUC claim and now I’m scared out of my mind that there gonna say I was fraudulent or I’ll get fined idk what to do?

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  8. I am so confused of what is happening. I began unemployment in Feb, 2020. I received 26 weeks but during this the pandemic started one month after I lost my job. After the 26 weeks I got PEUC for 13 weeks I believe and then received EB which was supposed to be for 10/11 weeks I think (I had a balance of $1000) and my benefit year ended 1/2/21. So I stopped getting benefits. My question is will it stop completely and I will not be eligible for PUA? I was told open a claim. So I did that today , just a regular claim like I Initially did in the beginning but I am so worried about being denied! How is anyone to find a job today??? Can someone please help ease my
    Mind what to do if the benefit year ended.

    Reply
    • You just need to reopen. Go to CLAIMANT services at the bottom it should say submit additional information. Reopen claim. Never start a new claim. 1 claim only. PUA and PEUC are different.

      Reply
      • I have never got my bennifits because they never finished the sighn up process because the I’d me was just begining and it tottystopped my Edd so I seen something about this happen to alotof people what do I do I never receive nothing till it was to late

        Reply
  9. I have lost my email address that I gave to y’all how do I give you my new email address change it so that y’all can contact me

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    • You have to reopen your claim. Under alerts where you usually certify, is there an alert that says additional claim required. Or Google it.

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      • So I was receiving my pua every single week and all the sudden it said ineligible and when I filed an appeal, it said a job telework with pay was the problem. The only telework I have done is 1099 taking surveys. And that was before I received any pua benefits and I didn’t even make enough to get a 1099. They said this information was sent by mistake

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  10. I received my last pua payment on December the 9th I have not yet received another payment in the new year which I thought started the second of January can you please help me on this matter to understand better

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  11. I am pua UI in Ohio, I still have a balance, and I read it may roll over but when can we start filing claims again, and I am confused whats the difference in UI and pua? Is there a way to file an extension I called and they told me no

    Reply
    • PUA is for people who don’t qualify for regular Unemployment. PEUC is basically regular Unemployment. You can’t have both. To qualify for PUA you must be denied regular Unemployment. Also proof of employment in 2019 will be required.

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  12. I have been filing my weekly p e u c
    Evry week but i have not received
    My payments yet?
    and i called and they said to give it a week or
    Two ,
    But im still waiting for Virginia unemployment so pay me my back pay and my regular unemployment p e u c
    can anyone please let me know how long it will take for me to receive my one lump sum payment along with my back pay?

    Reply
  13. I would like to know why I didn’t receive the extra 600 weekly PUA self employed only got alittle from the states not from the federal since March job was close due to the Pandemic what should I do

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  14. It is a shame that professional adults can not come together and compromise in these desperate times of need. What ever happened to compassion in this world? God bless everyone to find alternative resources to put food on your table, electricity in your home as well as the internet so our children can attempt online learning as we walk thru this horrible situation.

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    • But even though the cut off date is Dec 26th, my 26 weeks ran out last Wednesday, the 9th. I know it isn’t much, but shouldn’t I still get the 13 weeks extension up until the 26th of December. It’s only a few more weeks but with holidays, sure would be useful. So I’m thinking the 13 week extension should cover me for the week of the 12th, 19th and lastly the 26th and then cut off. So does anyone know how the 13 week ext works? I’ve been told simply to certify tomorrow, which is my normal certification date and then the balance would renew. Then I’ve been told I need re-apply a new claim or re-open the existing one. But when I log on to my account, it still shows active. Basically, just hoping I can somehow squeeze 3 more weeks of unemployment. Thanks for anyone knowledgeable on this or has gone thru it themselves. God Bless.

      Reply
      • PUA program ends December 26 2020…. it doesn’t matter if you did or did not get all your benefits under such program

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      • Did you apply for the PEUC? After your weeks run out you still had to apply for it. Hit the Tab FEDERAL EXTENDED BENEFITS and it will easily walk you through.

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  15. I suppose to start calling on April/1/2020, I was calling,answer 2 questions then when I wait for an agent to talk,phone hang up all the time,then I did it on computer,it went through,I start collecting,but I wanna know if I’m able to get those weeks from april n up as retroactive payment,somebody to answer n tell me what to do soon.

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    • I live in indiana been reading few of your post so who gets my remaining pua balance since ur first post was if president oast lawn would be entitled to my benefits the state just wouldnt recieve anymore ADDITIONAL funding. And according to the first guildline the fund the gov provides the state 100% of the amount given to our acct were to be paid to us the individual. Since my state ended my program what do i have to do to recieve my remaining balance

      Reply
  16. I received the 600 before it expired and I’ve been patiently waiting for a new stimulus because my unemployment runs until March. So since I will lose my benefits come Dec 26 because I’m in the midst of my extension does this mean in 2021 if and when they pass a new one I’ll get retro benefits? I’m basically saying I’m not a new claimant so I should get them right?

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  17. Please help. I have nothing left to live on and this was my only day of hope. It really was. I’m 66 and a housekeeper. There hasn’t been work since Covid.

    Reply
  18. I applied June 21 and have done everything asked of me. I haven’t received anything at all. They telle when I call that all is in order. This Sunday I filed and it said reopen. It’s my 43 week. They said an adjudicator was looking aty file. Does that mean I will receive nothing? All of it would be retroactive. I’m devastated.

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      • I have not received anything in 2021 since the cutoff of December 26th for pua what do I do or what is going on

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        • I have 13 vouchers with no issues found. They say not paid due to weeks not claimed. What does this mean and we’ll I get my back pay from this vouchers

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