California has approved a FEMA grant that could supplement stateless unemployment for at least a few weeks.
FEMA administrator Pete Gaynor has approved California for a grant under the Lost Wages Assistance program. Under the subsidy, California can provide $ 300 a week – on top of its regular unemployment benefit – to those unemployed because of COVID-19.
FEMA will partner with California Governor Gavin Newsom to implement a system to make this funding available to California residents. How soon that system can be in place and deliver money to those in need remains to be seen.
The FEMA funds will be used instead of a congressional cut. Republicans and Democrats are divided over how much of an extra economic incentive they want to give to the unemployed, with a chunk of at least a trillion dollars standing in the way. The FEMA funds are seen as stopgap until that logjam is resolved. The FEMA funding is likely to be one available for four to five weeks by most estimates, meaning that Congress must come to a compromise to continue the impetus.
States had to apply until September 10 for the FEMA funds. President Trump made up to $ 44 billion available from FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund on August 8 to provide financial assistance to Americans who have lost wages due to the COV ID-19 pandemic.
So far, South Dakota is the only state that has said it will not take federal funds. As of Thursday, only one state, Arizona, had started paying out to its unemployed with federal funds.
As of today, funds have been approved for 15 states: Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah.
