Lost Wages Assistance (LWA) Program FAQs

It is part of President Trump's executive order to extend enhanced federal unemployment benefits. LWA is a program that receives funding from the Federal Emergency Management Administration's (FEMA) Disaster Relief Fund. LWA will allow distribution of an additional $300 weekly supplement to eligible individuals receiving UI benefits from state and federal unemployment insurance programs. 

Eligible claimants received $300 for each of the six weeks of the LWA Program. The program applies to the weeks ending 8/1/20, 8/8/20, 8/15/20, 8/22/20, 8/29/20, and 9/5/20. If a claimant received a payment for any of those weeks and had a weekly benefit amount of at least $100, he/she will receive a $300 payment for that week.

Eligibility for the LWA Program is based upon an individual's weekly benefit determination - an amount calculated by a claimant's reported wages. Individuals must have received a weekly benefit amount determination of at least $100 to be eligible for LWA supplemental benefits. He/she must also be unemployed or partially unemployed due to disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

To check eligibility, claimants should visit their My UI portal where they will use a link to attest to the reason for their unemployment. Individuals whose employers have filed on their behalf or those who are receiving benefits through Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) do not need to attest their reason for unemployment due to weekly certification that addresses this requirement. Only those with an individually filed claim will need to do so. The link to attest to the reason for unemployment will appear in a claimant’s My UI portal when payments are ready to be released and only for those who need to attest.

Not everyone who qualified for FPUC received LWA payments. Claimants must have a weekly benefit determination of at least $100 AND have received at least $1 from a state or federal UI program for that week to receive the LWA supplement.

FEMA announced that all states will be limited to six weeks of benefits. The GDOL received approval for all six weeks of LWA benefits.

Claimants who qualify for the LWA program are issued payments for all eligible weeks ending August 1, 2020 through September 5, 2020 when they are found eligible. Claimants must have a weekly benefit determination of at least $100 AND have received at least $1 from a state or federal UI program for that week to receive the LWA supplement. Payments should be available on the Way2Go Debit Card or Direct Deposit account 48-72 hours from the payment date shown on My UI portal.