Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC)

On May 11, 2021, Governor Kim Reynolds announced new measures to address the State of Iowa’s severe workforce shortage. Effective June 12, 2021, the State of Iowa ended its participation in federal pandemic-related unemployment benefit programs. Iowa stopped participating in the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation program on that date.  The last payable week for FPUC was the week ending June 12, 2021.

OVERVIEW

Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) is a program under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act of 2020 that provides additional payment to those individuals who are receiving state or federal unemployment insurance payments.  It is funded by the federal government, not by state unemployment taxes paid by employers. 

IMPORTANT:  If you are notified that your benefit year has expired, you must file a new claim online to determine your continued eligibility. States are required to determine if you are eligible for a state unemployment insurance claim when your benefit year expires.  If you are determined to be ineligible for a new benefit year, you can be placed back on either PEUC or PUA, whichever program you are being paid under.  The new benefit year filing process may take a few weeks to be finalized, but you would be paid for any weeks you are eligible for as long as you remain eligible and continue to file your weekly claim.

FPUC:  Provides $300 per week to supplement benefits for weeks of unemployment beginning after Dec. 26, 2020, through June 12, 2021.  To receive FPUC benefits, you must be receiving UI, PEUC, EB, Trade Readjustment Allowance (TRA), Voluntary Shared Work (VSW), Disaster Unemployment (DUA), or PUA.  FPUC benefits were not be paid from July 27 to Dec. 26, 2020, per federal guidelines.  

FEDERAL PANDEMIC UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION (FPUC): 

An additional $300 payment per week for all those who qualify for new or existing unemployment benefits, including unemployment insurance (UI), Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE), Unemployment Compensation for Ex-Servicemembers (UCX), Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC),  Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA), Extended Benefits (EB), Short-Time Compensation/Voluntary Shared Work (STC/VSW), Trade Readjustment Allowances (TRA), and Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) payments.  Programs that will not receive the FPUC are Training Extension Benefits (TEB) and Business Closing.

• Start date: Week beginning December 27, 2020 (or week ending January 2, 2021)
• End date:  Week ending June 12, 2021

FRAUD WARNING!

• If you knowingly make or cause another person to make a false statement or knowingly fail or cause another person to fail to disclose a material fact and, as a result, receive an amount of Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation to which you are not entitled, you shall be subject to prosecution under 19 section 1001 of title 18, United States Code. An individual found to have committed fraud and subsequently disqualified for a week (or weeks) of unemployment insurance that included a payment of FPUC will be ineligible to receive any additional payments of FPUC in the future following that disqualification.

• Quitting work without cause to obtain additional benefits under the regular UI program or the CARES Act qualifies as fraud. If you obtain these benefits through fraud, you will be ineligible for any additional benefit payments, must pay back the benefits, and are subject to criminal prosecution under section 1001 of title 18, United States Code.

• Intentional misrepresentation in the reporting of earnings earned during a given week on one’s continued weekly claim for unemployment insurance can result in finding of fraud, a disqualification from benefits, and an overpayment of benefits, in addition to other penalties and potential criminal prosecution.

OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR CLAIMANTS

• Child support obligations must be deducted from FPUC payments in the same way that they are from regular unemployment insurance benefits.

• FPUC payments are taxable. These payments will be included on your 1099G that you receive for the 2020 tax year. Taxes will be withheld from FPUC payments if you have elected to have taxes withheld from your unemployment insurance benefits.

• Notice to Claimants with a CARES Act Overpayment: A non-fraud overpayment of CARES Act benefits does not necessarily make you ineligible for future CARES Act benefits, even if future benefits may be offset to repay the overpayment. If you have received a notice of a non-fraud overpayment of CARES Act benefits, you are still eligible to apply for future benefits.

INDIVIDUAL ELIGIBILITY

To be eligible for benefits under the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation, individuals must:

• Be eligible for a state or federal unemployment insurance program and
  • Eligible for at least $1 in an unemployment insurance program, or
  • The entire unemployment payment was withheld to offset a non-fraud overpayment. 
• Be able and available to work and actively seeking work, unless unable to do so due to COVID-19 related reasons.
• Complete and keep a record of work searches (if work searches are required on your claim).
• Report any covered earnings earned during the week being claimed. Covered earnings include, but are not limited to, wages, paid sick time, vacation pay, and holiday pay.

WHAT DO I NEED TO DO?

• If you have not already done so, file a claim online. 

• If you have recently filed an unemployment insurance claim, the FPUC additional payment will be added to future unemployment weeks as the department sets up that program.  After the effective date of this program, back payments will be issued if you are eligible.

• You also should go online to file your weekly claim. 

HOURS TO SUBMIT A WEEKLY CLAIM

Sunday - 8:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Monday through Friday - 8:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.

For questions specific to your claim, please contact uiclaimshelp@iwd.iowa.gov or call us at 866-239-0843.