Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC)

Ending of FPUC 

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

FPUC Overview

FPUC is a program under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act of 2020 that provides extra payment individuals who are receiving state or federal unemployment insurance payments. FPUC 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. This is 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 Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) or Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA), whichever program you are being paid under.
• The process for filing for a new benefit year may take a few weeks to complete. However, you would be paid for any weeks you are eligible for as long as you remain eligible and continue to file your weekly claim.

Program Details

FPUC provides an additional $300 payment per week (beginning after Dec. 26, 2020 and through June 12, 2021) for all those who qualify for new or existing unemployment benefits, including: 

• UI
• Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE)
• Unemployment Compensation for Ex-Servicemembers (UCX)
• Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) or Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA)
• Extended Benefits (EB)
• Trade Readjustment Allowance (TRA)
• Short-Time Compensation (STC)/Voluntary Shared Work (VSW)
• Disaster Unemployment (DUA)

Programs that will not receive FPUC are Training Extension Benefits (TEB) and Business Closing. FPUC benefits were not be paid from July 27 to Dec. 26, 2020, per federal guidelines. 

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 will 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 extra payments of FPUC in the future following that disqualification.
• Quitting work without cause to get extra benefits under the regular UI program or the CARES Act qualifies as fraud. If you get these benefits through fraud, you will be ineligible for any extra 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, along with to other penalties and potential criminal prosecution.

Additional FPUC Information