This post is being updated as more states are approved.
Workers in a handful of states who lost the extra $600 per week in enhanced unemployment benefits may soon see their payments increase again as states are approved for the new $300 federal unemployment boost created by President Donald Trump's memorandum.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has approved more than 20 states for grant funding to provide the enhanced unemployment benefit as of August 23, including:
- Alabama
- Arizona
- California
- Colorado
- Idaho
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- New Mexico
- North Carolina
- Oklahoma
- Rhode Island
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
Of those, Arizona has started making payments. A few other states, including Michigan and New Hampshire, have applied. South Dakota is not applying for the benefit.
Trump's order created a "lost wages assistance" program that will use $44 billion in funding from FEMA to provide eligible workers with the enhanced $300 federal benefit. States have the option to contribute an additional $100. That means those collecting jobless benefits are guaranteed to half of the previous enhanced benefit of $600 per week, which expired at the end of July.
So far, Montana has said it will pay the extra $100 on top of normal state unemployment benefits.
Workers will have to receive at least $100 per week in state jobless benefits to receive the enhanced aid under Trump's order, leaving out the lowest income workers.
The aid could start being paid by the end of August, though the timing will depend on how long it takes states to reprogram their systems to administer the funds. However, the $44 billion could also run out within three weeks, according to FEMA.
Under President Donald Trump's executive order, states must apply to and be approved by FEMA to receive the supplemental funds. FEMA is updating its website as states receive funding. CNBC Make It will continue to update this post as more states are approved.
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