Are unemployment benefits delayed? You can charge after the deadline

Federal unemployment benefits expired on Labor Day. But there is good news for Americans who have been waiting weeks or months for this help to arrive: they can still collect the payment after the cut-off date.

Workers who have not yet applied for federal assistance can still do so, but many have less than 30 days to act.

Delayed unemployment benefits have been a common occurrence during the Covid-19 pandemic. State unemployment offices have struggled with obstacles such as a historic volume of claims, staff shortages, outdated technology, high levels of fraud and implementation of new rules and programs.

The data suggests that thousands of people may still be waiting for help to arrive.

Approximately 19% of applicants – or about 104,000 people – whose first payment of state benefits arrived in July had waited at least 70 days to receive the funds, according to data from the U.S. Department of Labor. (By comparison, less than 1% waited long before the pandemic).

However, states will still disburse federal benefits due to eligible applicants.

These now expired benefits include funds for the long-term unemployed and other people (such as the self-employed, self-employed, and contract workers) who do not meet the requirements for state unemployment insurance. They also include a weekly supplement of $ 300.

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“According to the California Department of Employment Development,” all weeks of unemployment that occur before these programs expire can still be paid retroactively if it is subsequently determined that a claimant can qualify for those weeks of benefits. “

Federal benefits expired on Saturday or Sunday (ahead of Monday’s official limit) in all states due to their administrative rules. About 9 million people were on the verge of losing all benefits and another 3 million were set for a weekly reduction of $ 300 in aid, according to Department of Labor data released Thursday.

Michigan workers, for example, who are awaiting a state resolution on their eligibility for benefits, can also obtain these funds retroactively, according to the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity.

“All protests and awards that have not been resolved by Sept. 4 will continue throughout the process despite federal programs ending,” according to the department. “Benefits will be paid to claimants who are determined to be eligible.”

These people should continue to certify the benefits until Sept. 4, the agency added.

Many unemployed people eligible for federal benefits before Labor Day have a limited time to apply, if they have not already done so.

States must accept new applications for unemployment assistance in pandemic cases for 30 days after the program expires, according to a Sept. 3 note issued by the Department of Labor. (The PUA program, for self-employed workers and workers, would have ended on September 4 or 5, depending on the state).

However, workers in the 26 states who ended up with some or all of the federal benefits before are unlucky. The 30-day application window in these states began in June or July, when they withdrew from the programs; this period of time has already elapsed.

Long-term unemployed eligible for pandemic emergency unemployment compensation also appear to have a time limit for filing applications. However, this window is not so simple, but varies from state to state, according to their respective legislation on late filing of claims, according to a Labor Department note released in July.