Utah receives OK for Lost Wages Assistance program from FEMA

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has approved Utah’s application to receive Lost Wages Assistance funding from FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund. On August 15, Pres. Donald Trump made available up to $44 billion from FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund to provide financial assistance to Americans who have lost wages due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The assistance is retroactive to the three weeks following the expiration of the unemployment augmentation of $600 per week that expired in July. Payments will be available for the three-week period of July 26 through Aug. 15.

“We’re grateful for the opportunity to apply for and receive approval to provide additional support to Utahns who have experienced unemployment during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Kevin Burt, Unemployment Insurance Division director for the Utah Department of Workforce Services. “However, we want to emphasize that this benefit is currently time-limited to only a three-week period and not everyone who has filed an unemployment claim will be eligible. We will continue to work with FEMA and the U.S. Department of Labor to pursue any additional funds for Utahns that may remain after the initial three-week period of benefits are distributed.”

Eligible individuals will receive $300 in addition to their regular unemployment benefit. Lost Wages Assistance is currently only available to individuals who meet eligibility criteria for the designated three-week period/.Individuals are eligible for Lost Wages Assistance if their weekly unemployment benefit amount was at least $100, they were eligible for one of the standard unemployment programs and they were unemployed or partially unemployed as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Benefits will be automatically calculated and distributed based on unemployment claims received. Individuals do not need to call or apply separately for this benefit.