The
Montana Department of Labor & Industry today reminds Montanans that the
Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) program ends the week of July
25, 2020. Established through the passage of the federal CARES Act, the
temporary program provided an additional $600 per week to anyone receiving benefits
under regular or pandemic-enhanced Unemployment Insurance (UI) programs.
The CARES
Act specifies a July 31 termination date for FPUC payments. However, since a UI
benefit week in Montana runs from Sunday to Saturday, the last full week to
which the FPUC enhancement applies is benefit week ending July 25. After that
date, regular UI weekly benefit amounts will be based on state law, and
Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) payments will be based on other
requirements in the CARES Act.
“Of the
over $700 million in UI benefits paid since the beginning of the pandemic,
roughly two-thirds of that amount is attributable to the extra $600 weekly FPUC
payment. The elimination of the FPUC payment will definitely be felt in
households of jobless workers and across their communities. We will be closely
monitoring developments at the federal level when Congress returns from recess
next week.”
Acting
Commissioner Brenda Nordlund said.
“It is possible the FPUC payment could be
extended at a lower amount or Congress could take a completely different tack
on how best to continue support unemployed workers and the economy, in general,
considering the COVID-19 numbers being reported across the country.”
Other
provisions of the CARES Act do not expire until December 26, 2020. This
includes Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC), which provides an
extra 13 weeks of benefits to persons who exhaust traditional benefits, and
Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA), which provides up to 46 weeks of
benefits to those who are self-employed and some others who have not
traditionally qualified for state benefits. Also, Montana is offering an
additional 13 weeks of Extended Benefits for eligible individuals who have
exhausted both their regular UI benefits and PEUC benefits.
DLI
continues to encourage anyone who believes they may be eligible for UI to file
a claim online at MontanaWorks.gov, or at mtpua.mt.gov for those that fall
under the
Pandemic Unemployment Assistance
eligibility guidelines
.
Those with technical, eligibility, or benefits questions are encouraged to view
the COVID-19 resource website at
dli.mt.gov/covid-19. A variety of information for both
Montana workers and employers is available and resources to help claimants
navigate the unemployment process.
About the Montana Department of
Labor & Industry
DLI exists to promote and protect the
well-being of Montana’s workers, employers, and citizens; and to uphold their
rights and responsibilities. DLI provides a variety of services to support this
mission, including Unemployment Insurance, Workforce Development, Labor Market
Information, Employment Relations, Safety and Health, Professional Licensing,
Building and Commercial Measurement, and Weights and Measures. To learn more
about Department services,
visit dli.mt.gov. Montanans can also follow DLI
on
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn for timely updates.