Many individuals may be nearing the end of their 26 weeks of unemployment benefits, which is typically how long an individual would be paid within a one-year period. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act’s Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (“PEUC”) program extends benefits for an additional 13 weeks for a total of 39 weeks, available through December 31, 2020. Individuals may apply for PEUC after their regular unemployment benefits are exhausted.
To be eligible for PEUC, an individual must meet the following requirements:
- Individual must be currently unemployed;
- If working less than full-time, individual’s gross earnings must be less than the weekly benefit amount;
- Individual must have exhausted all rights to regular unemployment benefits or the benefit year on the regular claim must have expired on or after July 1, 2019;
- Individual is not eligible to receive regular unemployment benefits in Hawaii, another state or Canada; and
- Individual must be able to work and be available to work.
All eligibility and filing requirements that apply to regular unemployment insurance benefits will apply to a PEUC claim.
An individual whose UI account has a $0 balance can apply for PEUC by signing in to the individual’s UI account and clicking on the link under the PEUC announcement. The DLIR created this chart to help individuals apply for PEUC:
