DWD Announces Extended Benefits

The Indiana Department of Workforce Development says the state has been approved for extended benefits for up to an additional 13 weeks of unemployment insurance benefits. The DWD says it was notified of the change earlier this month by the U.S. Department of Labor.

The benefits program, which the department says is triggered during periods of high unemployment, took effect last week.

The program is available to workers who have exhausted regular unemployment insurance benefits which are calculated per state. The DWD says Indiana’s unemployment rate currently exceeds the 5% threshold to trigger the extension.

The department says federal CARES Act provides Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation benefits for up to 13 additional weeks, and EB is available after PEUC is exhausted.

The DWD says the first week Hoosiers may be eligible for the additional EB is the week ending July 4. Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation continues to provide an additional $600 per week to claimants until July 25.

The department says the CARES Act also expands the pool of claimants eligible to receive unemployment benefits to include self-employed, contract and gig workers, as well as those that were previously ineligible under the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program.

The DWD says no action is required by the claimant if qualified for EB, and claimants will be automatically enrolled in EB by the DWD. The department says claimants should simply continue filing their weekly voucher if they remain unemployed.

Since March, the DWD says it has paid out $2.8 billion in unemployment insurance benefits.