Extended unemployment benefits will be available to eligible Ohioans

COLUMBUS — Extended unemployment benefits will be made available to eligible Ohioans.

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The Ohio Department of Job and Family services announced that up to 20 weeks of extended benefits will be available to individuals who have used both the maximum 26 weeks of regular benefits and 13 weeks of pandemic emergency unemployment compensation.

“We will soon begin notifying individuals who may qualify for this additional assistance to instruct them how to apply,” said ODJFS Director Kimberly Hall. “Although high unemployment rates are never welcome news, we are happy that we can offer this extra support for Ohioans who are unemployed through no fault of their own and who are having difficulty finding work.”

Ohioans on unemployment began receiving an additional $600 per week in April under the Federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act which was signed into law on March 27, according to a release from ODJFS.

The CARES Act created three new unemployment programs to assist people during the coronavirus pandemic:

• Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) provides benefits for up to 39 weeks to those who have not qualified for benefits including self-employed and part-time workers, 1099 tax filers and individuals with little work history.
• Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) provides an additional $600 per week to existing benefits through July 25. The additional amount can combine with other programs, including unemployment benefits, PUA, Trade benefits, and SharedWork Ohio benefits.
• Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) allows individuals to receive up to 3 weeks of additional benefits who use their maximum 26 weeks of regular unemployment benefits on or after July 1. PEUC is available through Dec. 26, according ODJFS.

“Individuals who exhaust their regular unemployment benefits are potentially eligible for PEUC. If they exhaust PEUC, they are potentially eligible for EB. If they exhaust all three programs, they are potentially eligible for PUA,” read a statement from ODJFS.

There are no extended benefits for those who exhaust PUA.

PUA will be in effect through Dec. 26.

The extension is possible because Ohio’s insured unemployment rate exceeded a minimum threshold, according to the release.

“Insured unemployment rate is a measure of the number of people receiving unemployment benefits as a percentage of the labor force,” read the statement.

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