State officials say they’re still looking into how to implement the extra unemployment benefits promised by President Trump. Unemployment recipients were given another $600 a week during the pandemic, but that officially ended July 31.
Last week, Trump issued a memorandum that would allow them to get $400 per week as a replacement, but $100 of that would have to be provided by the individual state. During his COVID-19 briefing Wednesday, Governor Eric Holcomb said Indiana hasn’t made any “final final decisions,” since there are still a lot of questions that need to be answered.
Department of Workforce Development Commissioner Fred Payne added that there’s a lot of new guidance being put together. “So we are, in a concerted effort with our federal partners, both the U.S. Department of Labor and FEMA, practically on a daily basis, trying to really understand what steps we need to take, what timing looks like, and really, in terms of dollars, just what’s actually out there and how does that all play out,” Payne said.
Payne said the one thing that is known for sure is that the state would have to develop yet another new system, to incorporate the added payments into residents’ unemployment benefits.
