When your income takes a hit, every dollar counts. If you’ve lost wages due to COVID-19 disruptions, there’s a program designed to help bridge that gap—and we want to make sure you’re not leaving money on the table.
What is Lost Wage Assistance (LWA)?
Back in 2020, when the $600 weekly pandemic unemployment benefit expired, the government created the Lost Wage Assistance program to help fill that gap. Here’s the good news: this program is real, it’s available in 49 states, and if you qualify, you could receive additional funds to help stabilize your finances during a tough time.
The program is managed by FEMA and funded through the Disaster Relief Fund. Your state handles the actual distribution of payments directly through their unemployment system—so you don’t have to apply to a separate agency. It’s designed to work with what you’re already doing.
Do You Qualify?
Eligibility is pretty straightforward. You need two things:
- You’re in a participating state (basically everywhere except South Dakota)
- You’re eligible for at least $100 in weekly unemployment benefits from any of these programs:
- Regular State Unemployment Compensation
- Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC)
- Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA)
- Extended Benefits (EB)
- Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE)
- Unemployment Compensation for Ex-Service members (UCX)
- Short-Time Compensation (STC)
- Trade Readjustment Allowance (TRA)
- Self-Employment Assistance (SEA)
The eligibility window covers a six-week period from the week ending August 1 through the week ending September 5, 2020, evaluated on a week-by-week basis.
How Much Will You Get?
The standard payment is $300 per week for six weeks, totaling $1,800. Some states have gone the extra mile and added an additional $100 per week, bringing the total to $2,400 for the full six-week period.
What You Need to Do Right Now
Here’s where action is required on your end. Most states will ask you to self-certify—basically confirming that you’re unemployed or underemployed due to COVID-19 disruptions.
If you’re already receiving PUA: Your state probably won’t ask you to do anything else. The payment should roll through automatically.
If you’re not receiving PUA: You’ll need to log into your state’s unemployment portal and complete the self-certification. It’s a simple step, but it’s essential. Don’t skip it—it’s what unlocks your benefits.
If you haven’t done this yet and you believe you qualify, don’t wait. Contact your state unemployment office or jump into their online portal and complete the certification immediately.
Moving Forward
If you’re struggling with more than just lost wages—if you’re juggling debt, building an emergency fund, or trying to get your finances back on track after this disruption—remember that help is available. Taking action now, whether it’s securing these benefits or creating a plan to manage your money, puts you in the driver’s seat of your financial future.
The goal here is simple: make sure your money is working for you, not against you. One step at a time.