Citizenship

Is Your State Ending Federal Pandemic Unemployment Benefits?

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Florida has announced that on June 26, it will be ending its $300-a-week supplemental pandemic unemployment benefits for people who lost their jobs during the Covid-19 pandemic. 


Florida is one of the 24 states that have stopped providing the $300 additional unemployment benefits, known as the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) Program. All of these 24 states that are ending benefits are led by Republican governors.


While the FPUC is ending in Florida and other states, other forms of pandemic-related unemployment benefits, as well as regular state unemployment benefits, are still available. For more information, visit CareerOneStop

This article will answer the following questions:

What is the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation Program?

Which states are ending their Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation Program?

How can I find out about the status of my unemployment benefits? 

Will this affect my regular unemployment benefits or my family’s benefits? 

What is the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation Program?

Beginning in March 2020, the federal government authorized the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which allows states to give people who were out of work due to the Covid-19 pandemic an extra $300 of unemployment benefits to sustain themselves, in addition to the state unemployment benefits they are eligible for. The FPUC is one of the programs that helps people who are unemployed due to the pandemic get money to live on. 

People who are citizens or legal residents and who lost their jobs due to the pandemic are qualified for FPUC

Which states are ending their Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation Program?

As of May 25, these are the 24 states that are ending their pandemic unemployment benefits, and the dates the benefits end:

  • Alaska, Iowa, Mississippi, and Missouri are ending their benefits on June 12, which as Forbes points out is the earliest date states are allowed to end their pandemic unemployment programs. 
  • Alabama, Idaho, Indiana, Nebraska, North Dakota, West Virginia, and Wyoming are ending their benefits on June 19. 
  • Along with Florida, the states of Arkansas, Georgia, Ohio, South Dakota, and Texas are ending benefits on June 26. 
  • Oklahoma is also ending unemployment benefits on June 26, and is offering a one-time $1,200 incentive to people returning to work. If you live in Oklahoma, you can learn more about Oklahoma’s return to work bonus here
  • Montana is ending unemployment benefits on June 27 and is also offering a $1,200 return-to-work bonus, you can learn more about Montana’s return to work bonus here
  • South Carolina is ending its unemployment benefits on June 30.
  • Tennessee is ending pandemic unemployment on July 3.
  • Arizona is ending pandemic unemployment benefits on July 10, and is offering people a $2,000 return-to-work incentive

How can I find out about the status of my pandemic unemployment benefits? 

If you have received pandemic unemployment, the best way to find out more information about how much longer you will receive them is to contact your state’s unemployment office. You can search for your state’s unemployment website and phone number via CareerOneStop, which is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor. 

Will this affect my regular unemployment benefits or my family’s benefits? 

According to the National Law Review, you will still be able to receive your regular unemployment benefits even if you live in one of the 24 states where pandemic unemployment benefits are ending. If you want more information about unemployment, you can visit CareerOneStop and find your state’s unemployment contact information. 

Noor Al-Sibai is a writer and media experimenter from North Carolina. She has been working in national media since 2012 for a number of websites including Raw Story, Bustle, and Media Matters for America. Besides being a nerd about politics, Noor’s interests include discovering new music, dancing (at home for now), and hanging out with her adorable cat.