New Jersey Department of Labor begins sending out supplemental FEMA unemployment payments

The New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development has successfully processed $1.2 billion in FEMA payments. Residents who qualify for $300 per week supplemental FEMA unemployment benefits can expect to receive the payment as a lump-sum over the next two business days, depending on their banks, state officials said. 

FEMA Lost Wages Assistance is a limited-time federal program that pays supplemental benefits to most workers unemployed for a COVID-19 related reason during the weeks ending Aug. 1 through Sept. 5. The benefit is $300 per week for up to six weeks, for a maximum payment of $1,800. 

The New Jersey Labor Department announced last week that 800,000-plus residents were unemployed for at least part of the six-week period covered by the federal program, and would be eligible. 

Since mid-March, the New Jersey Labor Department has received 1.7 million unemployment applications, including 28,669 new claims for the week ending Oct. 17, a one-percent decline from the prior week. 

The New Jersey Labor Department has distributed $16.7 billion in unemployment benefits during the pandemic, including $256 million last week. Benefits to the average worker top $12,000. 

A chart showing the number of new unemployment claims received by the department each week: 

Weekly payments made by the New Jersey Labor Department: