CARES Act

On March 27, 2020, the President signed into law what is known as the CARES Act. This act created emergency relief to unemployed workers affected by COVID-19. Under this act the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) program was formed, along with Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) and Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC).

On Dec. 27, 2020, the President signed into law the Continued Assistance Act which expanded the CARES Act unemployment benefits and created the Mixed Earners Unemployment Compensation Program. Programming for the $300 FPUC payment and PEUC have been completed. The additional weekly $300 FPUC payment is payable to any eligible weeks filed beginning Jan. 2, 2021, and forward. You will receive payment for this additional amount if you are eligible for other program payments during the week(s) filed.

On March 11, 2021, the President signed into law the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 which expanded CARES Act unemployment benefits by increasing the duration of benefits for PEUC and PUA and extending the end date for PEUC, PUA, and FPUC to Sept. 4, 2021.

PANDEMIC EMERGENCY UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION BENEFITS: PEUC eligible individuals will receive an additional 29 weeks of benefits if they previously applied for PEUC. These additional weeks are payable beginning the week ending March 20, 2021. Any eligible weeks of payment filed on or after the week ending March 20, 2021, will receive retroactive PEUC payments. All new PEUC claims filed will have 53 weeks included at the time of application. The PEUC program is expiring on Sept. 6, 2021. The last payable week of PEUC will be Sept. 4, 2021.

FEDERAL PANDEMIC UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION: The additional weekly $300 FPUC payment is payable to any eligible weeks filed beginning Jan. 2, 2021, and forward. You will receive payment for this additional amount if eligible for other program payments, during the week(s) filed. Alaska has withdrawn from the FPUC program. The last payable week for the additional FPUC payment will be the week ending June 19, 2021.

• Mixed Earners Unemployment Compensation (MEUC) Q&A
• Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) Q&A
• Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) Q&A
• Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) Q&A
• Lost Wages Assistance (LWA) Q&A

Mixed Earners Unemployment Compensation (MEUC)  is a benefit payment that provides an additional $100 weekly payment to individuals filing for regular UI, PEUC, EB, TRA or DUA benefits and who have earned $5,000 or more in self-employed net income in the most recent completed tax year. Alaska has withdrawn from the MEUC program. The last payable week for the additional FPUC payment will be the week ending June 19, 2021.

Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) is for small business owners, self-employed individuals and unemployed or partially unemployed individuals not eligible for other state or federal unemployment insurance benefit programs, and who are currently out of work due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The PUA program is expiring on Sept. 6, 2021. The last payable week of PUA will be Sept. 4, 2021.