DWD Announces Target Dates For Reopening Federal Unemployment Benefits

The Indiana Department of Workforce Development will reopen a federal program on Jan. 22 that extends unemployment benefits. Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) is for workers who have used up the state’s 26 weeks of unemployment insurance. The program expired at the end of last year, but was revived by Congress. 

With changes from the latest COVID-19 relief bill, those receiving benefits will get additional weeks of eligibility and an extra $300 each week until mid-March. 

Other workers, benefiting from regular unemployment insurance, are already getting additional benefits.

DWD also says it anticipates self-employed and non-traditional workers who had benefits paused in the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program could start filing vouchers again on Jan. 22 as well. However, the latest relief bill has increased income reporting requirements for those claimants. The department is working to confirm that date this week.

Those starting a new claim or who exhausted benefits in that program are targeted to be able to file a new PUA claim on Jan. 29.

DWD has also opted to launch another federal program intended to help workers who lost significant self-employed income on top of a regular job. The department is still working on implementing those changes. It has more information and common scenarios about how the Continued Assistance Act affects workers on its webpage.

Contact reporter Justin at jhicks@wvpe.org or follow him on Twitter at @Hicks_JustinM.