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Here’s how long the additional $300 in unemployment benefits will last

Published Sep 14th, 2020 3:58PM EDT
Unemployment Check How Long
Image: stnazkul/Adobe

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  • FEMA last month approved a $300 increase in weekly unemployment benefits.
  • 47 states thus far have applied for and been approved to send out the bonus payments.
  • While some states have already started making the increased payments, other states won’t begin making payments until next month.

While the unemployment rate in the U.S. has fallen substantially in recent months, it’s still markedly higher than it was during pre-corona times. According to recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate in the U.S. last month was about 8.4%. As a point of contrast, the unemployment rate during the peak of the coronavirus pandemic was close to 16%. Before the pandemic struck, however, the unemployment rate was somewhere in the range of 3%.

With millions of Americans still out of work and struggling to make ends meet, FEMA last month approved a $300 increase in weekly unemployment benefits. Individual states need to apply for the benefits, which is to say that if you’re in a state that hasn’t applied, you’re out of luck. To date, 47 states have applied for and been approved for the $300 increase.

The timeline for when people will start seeing an additional $300 in their unemployment check varies by state. While some states started the increased payouts in late August, other states have indicated that they won’t begin the increased payouts until mid-October. In light of that, some states — like Illinois and Hawaii, for example — have issued $300 bonus payments in the interim.

As it stands now, the $300 bump in weekly unemployment benefits will last for three weeks. After a three week period, FEMA will look at each state individually and determine if more funding is warranted. In short, some states might see the payment period extended while others may not. In essence, you can look at the unemployment increase as a lump sum $900 payment that might increase later on down the line.

The list below highlights when individuals — on a state by state basis — can expect to see the $300 increase in unemployment benefits.

Alabama – payment already started

Alaska – late October

Arizona – payment already started

Arkansas – release date hasn’t been set yet

California – payment started on September 7

Colorado – mid-September

Connecticut – mid-September

Delaware – date hasn’t been set

Florida – payment starts on September 11

Georgia – mid-September

Hawaii – a bonus payment will be sent out, but no date has been set for the weekly $300 increase

Idaho – payment already started

Illinois – a bonus payment of $300 was sent out, but a date for weekly payouts hasn’t been set yet.

Indiana – mid to late September

Iowa – payment started in early September

Kansas – late September at the earliest

Kentucky – September

Louisiana – payments started in August

Maine – mid to late September

Maryland – late September

Massachusetts – payments already started

Michigan – payments already started

Minnesota – payments began in early September

Mississippi – mid to late September

Missouri – payment began in late August

Montana – payment began in August

New Hampshire – payment already started 

New Jersey – October

New Mexico – mid-September

New York – date not set yet

North Carolina – payment already started

North Dakota – mid-September

Ohio – mid to late September

Oklahoma – mid to late September

Oregon – date not set yet

Pennsylvania – mid-September

Rhode Island – September 12

South Carolina – mid to late September

Tennessee – payment already started

Texas payment already started

Utah – mid-September

Vermont – mid-September

Virginia – September 30

Washington – late September

West Virginia – no date set yet

Wisconsin – November

Wyoming – no date set yet

Yoni Heisler Contributing Writer

Yoni Heisler has been writing about Apple and the tech industry at large with over 15 years of experience. A life long expert Mac user and Apple expert, his writing has appeared in Edible Apple, Network World, MacLife, Macworld UK, and TUAW.

When not analyzing the latest happenings with Apple, Yoni enjoys catching Improv shows in Chicago, playing soccer, and cultivating new TV show addictions.

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