Connecticut workers made jobless by the coronavirus have a new source of federal money: disaster aid

Eligible workers in Connecticut who lost their jobs because of the coronavirus will receive another $300 a week as part of federal disaster aid.

The Lost Wages Assistance supplemental benefits is a new federal program funded by $44 billion in disaster relief authorized in August by President Donald Trump, who worked around a congressional stalemate. It’s intended to replace a $600-a-week emergency federal supplement that expired July 31.

Beginning next week, the additional aid will be available to claimants who have a weekly benefit of at least $100 and have become unemployed or partly unemployed due to COVID-19. About 250,000 Connecticut unemployed workers will be eligible, according to state estimates.

“With five weeks of benefits available, Lost Wages Assistance can take some financial pressure off claimants, but it is only a temporary program and expires when the (disaster relief) funding is exhausted,” state labor commissioner Kurt Westby said.

Pandemic Unemployment Assistance claimants have already self-certified and do not need to do anything to receive the additional benefit, the state Department of Labor said.

New unemployment claimants and state and extended benefits claimants who are required to self-certify are notified by letter or email they are eligible and may self-certify when the program is open.

To self-certify, claimants must log in to their unemployment account, where the account main page offers the option, “‘Certify for Lost Wages Assistance.”

Five weeks of Lost Wages Assistance will be paid in addition to regular unemployment weekly benefits and will be retroactive to the claim week beginning July 26. It also will be available for claim weeks beginning Aug. 2, 9, 16 and 23.

The state labor department is testing self-certification and opening the program to small groups over the next few days.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency will end the program when federal funding is exhausted or if Congress and Trump enact legislation replacing the program.

Stephen Singer can be reached at [email protected].

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