$300 unemployment benefits: which states are starting to pay after new stimulus bill approval
Several state unemployment agencies have already started paying the $300 unemployment boost, with more to follow before the end of the week.
Several states have already begun paying the $300 weekly federal unemployment benefit boost a week after Donald Trump signed the latest $900 billion Covid relief package that extended the benefit for millions of unemployed Americans.
Under the new package, eligible out-of-work Americans will receive the $300-a-week payment for a total of 11 weeks, from 27 December through 14 March, which includes gig workers, freelancers and others typically not eligible for unemployment benefits.
Some experts were worried that President Trump’s delay in signing off on the stimulus bill would mean that recipients would only get 10 weeks of the federal benefits instead of 11 weeks. However, a number of state unemployment agencies have avoided the delay in payments and have already started either processing or issuing payments this week.
Arizona, California New York, Rhode Island, Tennessee and West Virginia have already sent out the first payments to recipients, while several other states are expected to send out payments this week.
Below is the latest payment status for every state according to the unemploymentpua.com tracker.
States that have already began paying
Arizona, California New York, Rhode Island, Tennessee and West Virginia
States expected to start payments this week (ending January 10)
Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, DC, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon, Texas, Utah
States expected to start payments next week (ending January 17)
Iowa, Maine, Montana, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Vermont. Washington, Wyoming
States expected to start payments by week ending January 24
New Mexico (payment expected to start on January 18)
States for which payment date is still unknown
Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, Virginia, Wisconsin