Iowa Workforce Development unveils two new unemployment programs

Iowans who have exhausted their 26 weeks of regular unemployment benefits will have access to another 26 weeks of unemployment benefits through state and federal programs, Iowa Workforce Development announced Friday morning.

Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation, created through the federal CARES Act, gives residents 13 weeks of unemployment benefits.

The benefits are the same amount as the regular unemployment benefits.

Unemployed Iowans can receive back payments for unemployment going back to March 29. PEUC funding will last until Dec. 26.

Once someone uses up the 13 weeks of PEUC funding, Iowa's State Extended Benefits will kick in for another 13 weeks.

The availability of the State Extended Benefits are dependent on the rolling 13-week unemployment rate in Iowa.

'As the state reopens and more people return to work, the rate will decline and the state EB program will end,” Iowa Workforce Development said in a news release.

Those who already are filing unemployment claims do not need to do anything else to receive the PEUC and State Extended Benefits.

Last week, the state received 14,586 new unemployment claims and 180,679 continuing unemployment claims.

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