ODJFS updating system to allow for more unemployment claims
The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) is finalizing system updates that will allow more than 95,000 additional Ohioans to begin claiming unemployment benefits this weekend.
Programming updates for the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) program will be complete on January 31.
The federal Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, signed on December 27, extends and amends many of the federal pandemic unemployment programs made possible by the CARES Act.
The department said that new complexities are taking all states more time to implement.
ODJFS expects to implement the following provisions on the dates below:
January 31 – Additional 11 weeks of PEUC
As a result, more than 95,000 additional Ohioans will be eligible to receive these benefits, including many of those who formerly received Federal-State Extended Benefits.
Eligible individuals also will receive the $300 FPUC payments.
The CARES Act provided up to 13 weeks of PEUC benefits for Ohioans who exhausted their maximum 26 weeks of regular unemployment benefits, through December 26.
The new legislation provides an additional 11 weeks of PEUC, but new programming is necessary to make them available to claim.
February 6 – New PUA Applications, Payment Fix
As a result, Ohioans new to PUA will be able to apply, claim weeks and receive benefits.
In addition, an estimated 155,453 PUA claimants who had balances on their accounts of up to 7 weeks can again be paid, provided they have no other issues holding their claims.
Eligible individuals also will receive the $300 FPUC payments.
ODJFS is currently paying unemployment benefits to more than 245,000 Ohioans.
This includes nearly 98,000 who are receiving a form of traditional unemployment benefits and more than 144,000 who are receiving Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA).
All claimants eligible for these programs between December 27 and March 13 also will receive the supplemental $300 Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) payments.
ODJFS is posting updates with target implementation dates at jfs.ohio.gov/caa
