The Department of labor and human resources (DTRH) announced today, Saturday, that the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) program, which provides up to 13 additional weeks of benefits for individuals who exhaust all their benefits, will take effect starting next Monday. rights under Unemployment Insurance.
Secretary Briseida Torres Reyes indicated in a press release that to be eligible applicants must have exhausted the 26 weeks of Unemployment Insurance as of July 6 of last year 2019.
“After several weeks, the programming and documentation required for the implementation of this program could be completed, which will extend the unemployment benefit for up to 39 weeks for those who need it. Particularly, the extension is important for those beneficiaries who have exhausted their benefits during the past months or are close to exhausting them, and need this help to continue claiming subsequent weeks, “said the official.
The agency reiterated that the benefits offered by Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation are the same as those offered by the Unemployment Insurance program.
On the PEUC, the Department of Labor reported the following details:
one. The first week of benefits to be paid under the PEUC program would be, retroactively, from April 4, 2020.
2. The last week that could be paid under this program is the one that ends on December 26, 2020.
3. All persons eligible to receive benefits under the PEUC program, too, will receive $ 600 per week corresponding to federal supplemental aid, retroactively from April 4, 2020 to July 25, 2020, for the weeks corresponding to the benefits. .
Four. People who need it can obtain the PEUC application on the DTRH website and send it using the document submission platform at the same email address.
5. Applicants can also fill out the documentation at the nearest local office, either by post, in person or by leaving it in the mailbox of the facilities of the same DTRH.
While, Those who are beneficiaries of the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program must self-certify their need for benefits for the weeks ended May 2, 9 and 16, as part of the requirements to receive the payments, according to the agency.
“Federal regulations require that each beneficiary certify weekly their employment status and need for benefits. When issuing the first retroactive payments, the application date is used as certification of the previous periods, and as of May 23, the claimants have been able to certify their subsequent weeks. However, for the first three weeks of May we looked for a coordinated alternative to comply with federal requirements and this document was established so that the beneficiaries can claim their weeks, ”explained Torres Reyes.
He added that the form will be available on the agency’s website, www.trabajo.pr.gov, from where it can be sent using the document delivery platform to the same email address, or delivered directly to the local offices and available document delivery centers.
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