Extended Unemployment Benefits Now Available

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OKLAHOMA CITY - Oklahomans eligible for 13 weeks of extended unemployment benefits may now file online at https://ui.ok.gov.

The federal Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) program is designed for individuals who have exhausted regular benefits. Eligible claimants will receive an additional 13 weeks of relief for the period of March 29, 2020, through the week ending December 26, 2020.

“The online application process is up and running,” said Secretary for Digital Transformation David Ostrowe. “Individuals should login to their ui.ok.gov account and follow the instructions to apply for PEUC relief.”

Claimants whose benefit year has ended since July 1, 2019, will be required to file a new regular unemployment claim before a PEUC claim can be submitted. If eligibility for regular unemployment relief is approved, the claimant will receive regular unemployment as opposed to PEUC. Individuals ineligible for regular unemployment benefits will be allowed to file a PEUC claim, against the previous monetarily eligible claim.

“It’s important that individuals first file for regular unemployment benefits,” Ostrowe said. “The system is designed to determine eligibility in stages. Just as with PUA, PEUC applicants must have exhausted their regular unemployment benefits in order to file for extended benefits.”

To qualify for PEUC, claimants must:

• Have a benefit year ending after July 1, 2019

• Exhausted their regular unemployment benefit allowance

• File the PEUC application

For claimants who exhausted their regular benefit allowance after the week ending March 28, 2020, the PEUC claim will be effective the Sunday following the week in which their claim was exhausted.

For individuals who exhausted benefits prior to the week ending March 28, 2020, the effective date of the PEU C claim will be March 29, 2020.

“PEUC claimants will also receive the FPUC payment of an additional $600 per week through the week ending July 25, 2020,” Ostrowe said. “These payments may be backdated to March 29, 2020, depending on when an individual’s regular unemployment benefits were exhausted.”

More information about PEUC and program eligibility is available at https://oesc. ok.gov. Scroll down to the ‘Your Questions Answered” section on the main page.

Monday’s Memorial Day Holiday will impact claimants in various ways.

Agency Tier 2 agents will be working Monday making calls to claimants in its ongoing effort to resolve eligibility issues with regular and PUA applicants. Inbound call center function will resume regular hours on Tuesday, May 26, 2020.

The holiday is also affecting typical banking operations. Claimants should be aware that payment will be delayed for the week ending May 23, 2020. Individuals receiving payment to the debit card will have the payment released on Tuesday, May 26,

2020. Direct Deposit payment will be issued to banks on May 28 or 29, 2020, depending on when a claimant’s bank completes the transaction.

Claimants should timely file their weekly attestation on Sunday, May 24, 2020, to prevent any additional delays in processing benefit payments.