SPOKANE, Wash. — A program that offered an extra $600 per week in unemployment benefits expired on Aug. 1. But President Trump directed FEMA through an executive order to continue offering a $300 supplemental payment.
In early August, White House officials offered a short-term extension of the $600 benefit. But House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer rejected the offer, arguing that Republicans didn't understand that the situation requires a solution that is larger in scope.
Many Republicans have expressed concern that a $600 weekly benefit, on top of existing state benefits, gives people an incentive to stay unemployed.
The two sides have not yet come to an agreement on a larger coronavirus relief bill.
The previous unemployment benefit was fully funded by the federal government, but Trump is asking states to now cover 25 percent. States can choose to offer a $400 supplement by covering an extra $100 themselves, which many say is prohibitively expensive.
Trump later clarified states could accept only the $300. Neither Washington nor Idaho have said they plan to offer additional funding on top of the $300 from the federal government.
Washington and Idaho have both been approved for the program offering an extra $300 per week in benefits. The unemployment office in Washington state said it will begin processing payments on Sept. 21, while payments have already begun in Idaho.
Here's what we know about the status of the Lost Wages Assistance program in both Washington state and Idaho.
Washington will begin processing payments on Sept. 21.
Washington state will begin processing payments for the Lost Wages Assistance program on Monday, Sept. 21, according to an update from the state's Employment Security Department (ESD).
These payments will be in addition to the state's regular unemployment benefit. Not everyone who has filed a claim will be eligible for the extra funding, and ESD has said that the benefit is currently time-limited to those filing claims over a three-week period, between July 26 and Aug. 15.
There are several eligibility requirements, according to Washington's Employment Security Department (ESD):
- You must have been unemployed or working fewer hours due to disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic.
- ESD already paid you unemployment benefits for the approved weeks of the program.
- Federal funds are still available.
Those who are eligible will receive the money in their accounts as soon as their bank processes the payment from ESD. Payments will be retroactive for all of the weeks for which people are eligible and funding is available from the federal government.
The federal government approved Washington state's application for the extra benefits for the weeks ending Aug. 1, 8 and 15, according to the ESD website. From now on, the unemployment office must submit applications for the program every week.
ESD will continue to submit applications weekly for as many weeks as federal funds are available, according to its website.
Those whose weekly claim statuses are "paid" for any of the approved weeks and have showed that they are eligible will receive the extra $300 retroactively for the weeks ending Aug. 1, 8 and 15.
The unemployment office clarified that those who are eligible to receive at least $1 in benefits can receive the extra $300 if they meet necessary requirements.
ESD also outlined steps to ensure people with and without online accounts receive the extra $300 in their checks.
Steps for those with eServices accounts
Answer the eligibility question
Those with an eServices account will see a notice in their account saying that you need to answer an eligibility question. This will appear starting Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2020.
They will then need to click the link to answer one question to certify if they were unemployed or working fewer hours due to COVID-19 at any time since Feb. 2, 2020.
ESD will notify people in their eServices accounts, or by mail if they do not have an account, about whether they have been approved for the extra money.
In some cases, people have already certified that they are unemployed, working fewer hours or partially unemployed due to disruptions caused by COVID-19 and do not need to take this additional step.
ESD approves or denies people for program
Once ESD receive someone's answer to the eligibility question, the claimant will receive a notice in their eServices account to let them know it was received and is being processed.
ESD will then check to see that someone has been paid unemployment benefits for the weeks ending Aug. 1, Aug. 8, and Aug. 15. People can check the status of these weeks in eServices.
Then, ESD will send another notice telling someone whether they are eligible to receive the $300 and for what weeks.
Payments are issued
Those with an eServices account will receive a notice to tell them ESD issued a payment and when. The unemployment office issues payments by direct deposit or debit card.
Steps for those without eServices accounts
Answer the eligibility question
ESD will send a letter by mail and provide a phone number to call. People will reach an agent who will ask them to certify if they were unemployed or working fewer hours due to COVID-19 at any time since Feb. 2, 2020. The agents taking those calls can only help with this question.
In some cases, people might not need to answer the eligibility question because they might already have done so on their application or weekly claim.
ESD approves or denies people for program
After people speak to an agent to answer the eligibility question, ESD will check to see if they have been paid unemployment benefits for the weeks ending Aug. 1, Aug. 8, and Aug. 15.
ESD will then send another letter by mail to tell people whether they are eligible to receive the $300 and for what weeks.
Payments are issued
ESD will issue payments by direct deposit or debit card. People will need to check their bank accounts to see if they received the payment(s).
The unemployment office will not send people another letter to tell them if payments were issued.
Payments began in early September for Idaho
Idaho has already begun making payments for the Lost Wages Assistance Program, according to an announcement from Gov. Brad Little on Sept. 1.
To qualify for the additional $300 per week, Idaho residents must be unemployed due to COVID-19 and receive a weekly benefit amount of at least $100. Payments will be retroactive for the week ending Aug. 1 and will run as long as funding is available, up to five weeks, ending Aug. 29, 2020.
Unemployed workers with pending issues preventing payments will not receive the additional $300 per week if they are allowed benefits after the program has ended.
The Lost Wages Assistance Program will be subject to 10% federal withholding tax for those who elect to have taxes withheld from their regular unemployment benefits.