Federal Unemployment Insurance Extension FAQ

Federal Unemployment Insurance Extension - Update 10/13/20.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order allowing states to opt into a program extending federal unemployment insurance benefits. Governor Mike Dunleavy approved the State of Alaska’s participation in the new program which is scheduled to begin when programming has been completed.

How will eligible Unemployment Insurance (UI) recipients be impacted?

Eligible UI recipients currently receiving at least $100 in state funded benefits will see a $300 increase in their weekly payment. If a filer has one or more dependents, the additional funding for those dependents will be included in the eligibility calculation.

Will claimants receive the additional benefits if their state benefit is less than $100?

No. Alaska’s participation in the program requires a 25% match or the equivalent of $100 in a recipient’s current state benefit. Individuals who are currently receiving a state funded benefit less than $100 will continue to receive that amount during the period of their UI eligibility, but they will not be eligible for the additional $300.

Will PUA beneficiaries be eligible for the $300 payment?

Despite early indications to the contrary from USDOL and FEMA, the State of Alaska has worked with its’ federal partners to create maximum flexibility allowing coverage to be extended to eligible self employed filers.

How long will it take to get the new program up and running?

The State of Alaska submitted an application to the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) for 75% of program costs, and was approved in early September. At that time, the application period and implementation of the new program were expected to take approximately 6 to 8 weeks to bring on line.

Once the program is in place, how long will it last?

Approximately 6 weeks. The period of eligibility is the week ending 8/1/20 through the week ending 9/5/20. Payments will be made retroactive for the covered period and issued one week at a time. Once Federal FEMA funds are exhausted, a State only program will continue.

Will Congress make additional adjustments to Unemployment Insurance?

Several proposals to extend UI benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic were introduced recently in Congress. An agreement on a new extension has not been reached.