1st Round of 'Back to Work CT' Bonus Payments Mailed Out: Lamont

CONNECTICUT — If you are one of the workers participating in the state's Back to Work CT Program, your check is in the mail.

Gov. Ned Lamont announced Monday that the first round of the $1,000 bonus payments authorized through the program are being mailed this week to more than 1,500 eligible applicants.

Established in May, Back to Work CT is designed to provide an additional bonus payment to long-term unemployed workers who live in Connecticut, are transitioning back to the workforce, and have obtained new jobs. It is supported by Connecticut’s Coronavirus Relief Fund, which utilizes federal funding obtained through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act.

Approximately $10 million has been allocated for the program, which will provide bonus payments for up to 10,000 eligible applicants. It is administered by the Connecticut Department of Revenue Services in conjunction with the Connecticut Department of Labor and runs through December 31, 2021.

"Many workers who were displaced during the early months in the pandemic and faced long-term unemployment are now transitioning back into the workforce and starting to rebuild," Governor Lamont said.

To be eligible for a Back to Work CT incentive payment, a resident must have filed an unemployment compensation weekly claim with the State of Connecticut for the week May 23-29, 2021; have filed for 11 additional weeks between Dec. 27, 2020, and May 22, 2021; obtain and maintain a full-time job for eight consecutive weeks between May 30 and Dec. 31, 2021; and not file an unemployment compensation weekly claim with the state for any portion of the required eight consecutive weeks of employment.

"This is a job seeker’s market. It’s a great time for people to get back into the workforce and take advantage of opportunities to improve salary and benefits, or even start a new career," Connecticut Department of Labor Interim Commissioner Danté Bartolomeo said.

To claim a $1,000 incentive payment, a person is required to complete and submit the Back to Work CT program application electronically – no paper applications are accepted. The Department of Revenue Services may contact an applicant directly to substantiate his or her employment following completion of the required eight consecutive weeks of employment.

The Back to Work CT application, and additional information about the program, can be found on the Department of Revenue Services website.