If you’re out of work due to COVID-19, you could be eligible for up to 20 weeks of extended unemployment benefits. Governor Mike DeWine announced the additional assistance today. Let’s break down how it works:
Who’s Eligible?
Out-of-work Ohioans who exhausted both the maximum 26 weeks of regular unemployment benefits and 13 weeks of Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation are eligible for additional assistance.
Ohio qualified for the assistance because our insured unemployment rate exceeded a minimum threshold. The insured unemployment rate is a measure of the number of people receiving unemployment benefits as a percentage of the labor force.
How To Apply
Don’t call the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services, they’ll call you.
“We will soon begin notifying individuals who may qualify for this additional assistance to instruct them how to apply,” said ODJFS Director Kimberly Hall. “Although high unemployment rates are never welcome news, we are happy that we can offer this extra support for Ohioans who are unemployed through no fault of their own and who are having difficulty finding work.”
Where’s The Money Coming From?
Funds to extend unemployment come from the federal government. The federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which was signed into law on March 27, created three new unemployment programs:
- Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) provides up to 39 weeks of benefits to many who historically have not qualified for unemployment benefits, such as self-employed workers, 1099 tax filers, part-time workers, and those who lack sufficient work history.
- Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) provides an additional $600 per week through July 25 to existing benefit amounts for those in multiple programs, including regular unemployment benefits, PUA, Trade benefits, and SharedWork Ohio benefits.
- Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) provides up to 13 weeks of additional benefits. Ohioans who exhaust their maximum 26 weeks of regular unemployment benefits on or after July 1, 2019, are eligible.
How Long Will It Last?
This program is available through Dec. 26, 2020.
Individuals who exhaust their regular unemployment benefits are potentially eligible for PEUC. If they exhaust PEUC, they are potentially eligible for EB. If they exhaust all three programs, they are potentially eligible for PUA. No additional extended benefits are available to those who exhaust PUA, which will be in effect through Dec. 26, 2020. For more information, visit unemployment.ohio.gov/expandedeligibility