Updated Sept 11
The state of Tennessee began processing the $300 Lost Wages Assistance (LWA) unemployment benefit on August 26.
Eligible claimants will receive $300 in addition to the state’s unemployment benefit of $275. When combined with the new program, the maximum possible benefit in Tennessee will be $575 per week, before federal withholding taxes.
The grant requires claimants receive at least $100 in state or federal unemployment benefits each week to be eligible for the new LWA payment.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has informed the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development funding for the Lost Wages Assistance program (LWA) will end after the week ending Sept. 5, 2020.
Eligible Claimants will receive the additional $300 payment for the weeks ending Aug. 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, and Sept. 5.
On Sept 1, the TN Dept of Labor and Workforce said LWA payments may be received separately from other benefits.
Lost Wages Assistance (LWA) at a Glance
•Must be eligible for $100 to receive LWA
•Must be out of work due to COVID-19
•LWA payments may come with other benefits
•Payments may come separately
•Payments from FEMA will lag 1 or 2 Weeks
•FEMA grant could end in approx. 7 Weeks pic.twitter.com/g8zqW4KKSa— TN Dept of Labor & Workforce (@Jobs4_TN) September 1, 2020
Eligible claimants currently receiving benefits do not need to take any action because the state will automatically add LWA to their weekly benefit payment.
Unlike the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation Program (FPUC) that ended in July, LWA is a grant with a specific amount of funding. It is important to note when the federal program exhausts its grant funding, it will no longer have the resources to provide LWA payments and the program will end at that time. If the federal program does not exhaust the LWA grant funding, payments will end in Tennessee on Saturday, December 26, 2020.
They need to hurry up because I work for an airline and due to COVID. We had 20 flights now it’s only 2. Hours been cut badly and now that school is opening mobile its even harder to make money the way I need to.