WASHINGTON — D.C., Maryland and Virginia are all approved by the federal government to offer $300 per week additional unemployment benefits through the Lost Wages Assistance Program.
The Q&A team has answers to your questions about eligibility and when to expect your check.
Q: WHO IS ELIGIBLE?
A: To qualify, applicants must already be receiving at least $100 per week from an approved unemployment compensation program according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Applicants also must be able to prove financial burden or lack of work due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
WHEN WILL PAYMENTS START?
A: It depends on your jurisdiction.
In D.C., recipients are expected to receive their first payment in early October according to the District’s COVID-19 web portal.
In Virginia, payments will start October 15, according to the Virginia Employment Commission. It was delayed from late September.
Maryland’s program launched on September 11 and claimants should already be receiving payments, according to the Maryland Department of Labor.
In all three jurisdictions, payments will be retroactive from the weeks August first through September 5, for a total of six weeks of payments.
Because FEMA has indicated their allotted funding is running out, it appears unlikely the program will be extended beyond this six-week duration.