FEMA Approves Maryland's Application For Additional $300 Per Week In Federal Unemployment Benefits
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WJZ) -- Gov. Larry Hogan announced Thursday that the Federal Emergency Management Administration approved the state's application to provide unemployed Marylanders with an additional $300 per week in benefits under the Lost Wages Assistance program.
The Maryland Department of Labor will now work with the federal administration to implement this program, with a plan to begin distributing the additional benefits by late September.
Gov. Hogan issued the following statement:
"We sincerely appreciate FEMA's quick approval of our application so that we can provide additional relief to struggling Marylanders. Our Labor team will now work with the federal administration to implement this new program so that we can distribute these benefits. It is important to recognize that this is only a stopgap, and we continue to urge Congress to come together and approve federal aid for the states to help support our economic recovery."
From March 9 to August 15, the Maryland Department of Labor's Division of Unemployment Insurance paid a total of $5,993,589,284 in regular and CARES Act unemployment insurance benefits to claimants.
The state's application secures a minimum of $431 million in additional benefits for unemployed Marylanders.
Eligible claimants will receive the $300 per week in benefits retroactive to the week ending August 1, 2020 and ending no later than December 26, 2020.
To qualify for the additional $300 per week, claimants must be eligible for a weekly benefit amount of at least $100 and must self-certify that they are unemployed or partially unemployed due to disruptions caused by COVID-19. Claimants will not have to file a new application to receive LWA benefits.
