State officials are reminding Pennsylvanians receiving unemployment compensation through federal pandemic assistance programs that those programs are about to end.
Pennsylvania Secretary of Labor & Industry Jennifer Berrier said in a statement that the affected programs are Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation and the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation.
The final week of eligibility for payments, which are up to an extra $300 a week, is this week. The department said the state’s normal unemployment compensation program is not affected.
Any claims involving the federal programs for weeks ending after Sept. 4 will be ineligible for further payments.
Berrier said that the department is “reaching out” to benefit recipients “to ensure they are aware of other forms of support.”
Labor & Industry will continue to process claims for weeks ending Sept. 4 or earlier that have been filed. Claimants will also be able to log into their accounts to see historic data, documents and other information.
Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate was 6.9% in June, down from 7% in May and more than 13% in June 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic was devastating businesses.
Pennsylvania pays up to $580 a week for those on unemployment.
There remain several sources of assistance for jobseekers in Pennsylvania, including PA CareerLink, which offers free access to a jobs database, resume assistance and skills-building opportunities.
County PA CareerLink information is available here.
Labor & Industry’s statement also said there are resources for non-unemployment assistance on its website here, and the state Department of Human Services also offers information on programs such as SNAP benefits, CHIP and Medicaid and others.
