PA Launches Extended Unemployment Program: What To Know

PENNSYLVANIA — Pennsylvania has launched a federal program that will offer additional support to residents who have used up all of their unemployment benefits during the coronavirus shutdowns.

Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation, funded through the $2 trillion federal CARES Act, will provide 13 more weeks of benefits to the unemployed after their previous benefits expired.

The state said Monday it has now implemented all programs under the CARES Act, including benefits for self-employed and gig workers, as well as the additional $600 per week.

Standard Pennsylvania unemployment provides benefits for 26 weeks. This program extends that to 39 weeks.

Here's who's eligible for the extended unemployment:

• Those who are unemployed between March 29 through December 26, 2020;
• Those who have exhausted regular state or federal benefits with week ending July 6, 2019 or later;
• Those who are currently not eligible for state or federal unemployment benefits; and
• Those who are able and available to work and actively seeking work, except for COVID-19-related reasons including illness, quarantine, or “stay at home” orders.

How to get the money:

• If you have an open unemployment claim but exhausted all of your benefits, the 13 additional weeks will automatically be added to your existing claim. Log in this week to file biweekly claims for prior weeks, back through the week ending April 4 (if applicable).
• If your benefit year has expired then you must submit an application online.
• If you don’t have access to computers or the internet, you can have a relative or friend print the paper application for you to complete and submit via mail. We are also in the process of mailing paper copies of the application to individuals who might need it.
• Biweekly claims and payments work the same way as for regular benefits.

How much you'll get:

• Your weekly benefit amount is the same as your regular unemployment compensation weekly benefit rate.
• Your weekly benefit rate is based on your reported earnings during the base year (the first four of the last five completed quarters). You must also have over 18 credit weeks (weeks during which you earned $116 or more) in your base year to be eligible for UC.

You'll still get the extra $600:

• You will receive an additional $600 per week from the federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) program. Anyone collecting any type of unemployment will receive the extra $600 per week in addition to your weekly benefits as calculated.
• Payments began the week ending April 4, 2020 and will end July 25, 2020. These payments will be backdated for eligible individuals and paid in one lump sum.

Since March 15, Pennsylvania has made 15.7 million payments to claimants totaling nearly $7.9 billion.