The Lost Wages Assistance (LWA) program has launched. It gives eligible Americans who are unemployed or partially unemployed due to COVID-19 an additional $300 a week in unemployment benefits. The funding for it comes from a FEMA disaster relief budget and each state that applied for the money will get at least three weeks' worth. Some states are kicking in an additional $100 so eligible residents there get $400 extra each week.
Since every state that wanted the funds had to apply on their own, and they all did it on their own timeline, the timing for the bonus payments varies state to state. Some are already sending out the payments, others won't be doing it for a while and one won't be sending any at all.
Forbes researched each state as well as the District of Columbia and compiled a list that shows the states already sending the payments out and how much they are for, and the states that aren't yet sending it, but if and when they plan to, and how much theirs will be for. Here's what they found out:
Alabama
Alabama is already distributing bonus benefit payments of $300. They started doing it on September 3.
Alaska
Alaska will start sending out bonus payments of $300 in late October.
Arizona
Arizona is already distributing bonus benefit payments of $300. They were the first state to do it and started in mid-August.
Arkansas
Arkansas will start sending out bonus payments of $300 in what a local news station described as a few weeks. A firm date hasn't been set yet.
California
California is already distributing bonus benefit payments of $300. They started doing it on September 7.
Colorado
Colorado will start sending out bonus payments of $300 in mid-September.
Connecticut
Connecticut will start sending out bonus payments of $300 in mid-September.
Delaware
Delaware will be sending out bonus payments of $300 but they did not give a date when they plan to start doing it. A press release about the timing noted, "President Trump's plan is a Hail Mary that is unnecessarily complicated and will be a nightmare to implement quickly."
District of Columbia
D.C. hopes to send out bonus payments of $300 but they haven't yet applied to the FEMA program that grants the benefit, which means they haven't been approved for the payments and aren't able to say when they will go out.
Florida
Florida expects to start sending out bonus payments of $300 on September 11.
Georgia
Georgia will start sending out bonus payments of $300 in mid-September. They are currently testing their computer systems to handle the payment.
Hawaii
Hawaii will be sending out bonus payments of $300 but they did not give a date when they plan to start doing it. There are changes to their computer system that are necessary to process the payments and they are working to complete them "as quickly as possible."
Idaho
Idaho is already distributing bonus benefit payments of $300. They started doing it at the beginning of the month.
Illinois
Illinois will be sending out bonus payments of $300 but they did not give a date when they plan to start doing it, instead noting that they will "work as hard and quickly as possible to distribute [them] as soon as grants funds are received."
Indiana
Indiana will start sending out bonus payments of $300 in mid-to-late-September.
Iowa
Iowa is already distributing bonus benefit payments of $300. They started doing it on September 4.
Kansas
Kansas hopes to send out bonus payments of $400 but they haven't yet applied to the FEMA program that grants the benefit. They plan to though, but the state's Department of Labor told residents not to expect payments before late-September.
Kentucky
Kentucky will start sending out bonus payments of $400 potentially very soon. The Kentucky Career Center website was updated a bit ago to say, "Reconfiguring the computer systems to pay the $400 is likely to take about two weeks. Therefore, benefits recipients should not expect the payments until sometime in early September."
Louisiana
Louisiana is already distributing bonus benefit payments of $300. They started doing it in August.
Maine
Maine will start sending out bonus payments of $300 in mid-to-late-September, after they "put in place the systems necessary to process payments."
Maryland
Maryland will start sending out bonus payments of $300 in late-September, when they will be on a "first-come, first-served basis."
Massachusetts
Massachusetts is already distributing bonus benefit payments of $300. They started doing it on September 2, however they note on their website that anyone eligible for them "through the standard unemployment assistance program accessed through UI Online, benefits are expected to be disbursed on or before Sept. 15, 2020."
Michigan
Michigan is already distributing bonus benefit payments of $300. They started doing it on September 7.
Minnesota
Minnesota is already distributing bonus benefit payments of $300. They started doing it on September 4.
Mississippi
Mississippi will start sending out bonus payments of $300 in mid-to-late-September.
Missouri
Missouri is already distributing bonus benefit payments of $300. They started doing it in August.
Montana
Montana is already distributing bonus benefit payments of $400. They started doing it in August.
Nebraska
Nebraska was the last state to decide if they wanted to apply for the program. They haven't yet, but they plan to, though the payments won't go out for at least another two weeks. No word yet on what amount they will be for either.
Nevada
Nevada was pretty late to apply for the funds but the state has put in their application, it just hasn't been approved yet. Since they are waiting for approval, there is no word on when the payments will go out, but when they do, they will be for $300.
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is already distributing bonus benefit payments of $300. They started doing it on September 10.
New Jersey
New Jersey will start sending out bonus payments of $300 in October, potentially as a lump sum. Currently, they are updating their computer systems to allow them to send the payments.
New Mexico
New Mexico will start sending out bonus payments of $300 during the second week of September.
New York
New York was late to decide if they wanted to apply for the program. They haven't yet, but they plan to. In the meantime, they are updating their computer systems to process the payments. No word on when the benefits will go out though.
North Carolina
North Carolina is already distributing bonus benefit payments of $300. They started doing it this week.
North Dakota
North Dakota will start sending out bonus payments of $300 in mid-September.
Ohio
Ohio will start sending out bonus payments of $300 in mid-to-late-September.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma will start sending out bonus payments of $300 in mid-to-late-September.
Oregon
Oregon will start sending out bonus payments of $300 but are unsure of when they will go out. When they know more about timing, they plan to post it on the state's Employment Department’s website.
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania will start sending out bonus payments of $300 by September 14.
Rhode Island
Rhode Island will start sending out bonus payments of $300 as a lump sum on September 12.
South Carolina
South Carolina will start sending out bonus payments of $300 in mid-to-late-September. In the meantime, they are updating their computer systems to handle the payments.
South Dakota
South Dakota turned down the bonus payment and will not be applying for it.
Tennessee
Tennessee is already distributing bonus benefit payments of $300. They started doing it last week.
Texas
Texas is already distributing bonus benefit payments of $300.
Utah
Utah will start sending out bonus payments of $300 in mid-September.
Vermont
Vermont will start sending out bonus payments of $400 in mid-September.
Virginia
Virginia will start sending out bonus payments of $300 on September 30.
Washington
Washington will start sending out bonus payments of $300 during the week of September 21.
West Virginia
West Virginia will start sending out bonus payments of $400 but they did not give a date for when they'll be sent.
Wisconsin
Wisconsin will start sending out bonus payments of $300 in November. Before the payments go out, the state has to make technological updates that will take eight weeks.
Wyoming
Wyoming will start sending out bonus payments of $300 but they did not give a date for when they'll be sent. The state's Department of Workforce Services did note, "We will work diligently to complete this process as quickly as possible."
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