-->

Kansas wage assistance program application deadline this week

The application window for the Lost Wages Assistance Program in Kansas is set to expire this week. As of early December, Kansas paid out over $108 million to around 67,676 eligible residents. Remaining individuals have until Dec. 27, 2020 to apply.

The application period for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Lost Wages Assistance Program (LWA) is set to expire on Dec. 27, 2020.

The program is only available to those claimants who were entitled to a minimum of $100 in unemployment benefits from the weeks ending Aug. 1 to Sept. 5, 2020. It is not available to all claimants.

As of the week ending Dec. 7, 2020, over 67,676 Kansans have taken part in the program with a total payout of more than $108 million.

The bulk of this program has been paid out with the Kansas Department of Labor (KDOL) now entering a maintenance phase. The agency will continue issuing payments, as necessary, until it reaches the final FEMA-mandated payout deadline of March 27, 2021.

LWA provides an additional $300 a week for an eligible claimant as long as the person remained eligible for unemployment benefits during the identified weeks, and lost her or his job due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

 In order to provide maximum flexibility to claimants, KDOL is seeking an extension to the final payout deadline of March 27, 2021.

Unlike other U.S. Department of Labor administered unemployment programs, the rules surrounding FEMA’s LWA program are restrictive. KDOL will continue to update the public if FEMA issues a waiver or additional changes to the program are announced.