Pa. begins distributing $300 weekly jobless benefit checks

PITTSBURGH — Some relief is on the way for those who have lost their jobs in Pennsylvania during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The state began sending out the $300 weekly checks to eligible unemployed workers Thursday.

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The Trump administration approved those payments as a replacement for the $600-a-week benefits people received before that funding expired at the end of July.

Those eligible will likely start getting those checks starting Sept. 14, as part of the federal Lost Wages Assistance program.

Labor Secretary Jerry Oleksiak previously said the state developed a new program to distribute $1.5 million from the program to Pa. workers. Under that program, the federal government requires that only individuals who are fully or partially unemployed because of the pandemic are eligible for the new benefit.

Our news partners at TribLIVE reported that to qualify for the extra $300, the Trump administration is requiring workers to be receiving $100 or more per week in other benefits, including regular and pandemic emergency unemployment compensation -- and the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance for self-employed workers. Most people will have to certify one time that they are unemployed because of the coronavirus.

Earlier this month, President Donald Trump made up to $44 billion available from FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund to provide assistance to Americans who are unemployed due to COVID-19. That will expire at the end of the year or whenever all the money is distributed.

For more information on the assistance program and how to apply, CLICK HERE.

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