MONTPELIER — Last week the Vermont Department of Labor distributed $21.6 million to 25,675 claimants through the Lost Wage Assistance (LWA) program. Paper checks were mailed directly to claimants who certified their employment had been impacted by COVID-19 for the weeks ending Aug. 1, Aug. 8, and Aug. 15, 2020.
“Since receiving funding for this program, our team has been hard at work developing and implementing necessary requirements to issuethissupplementalbenefitpayment to Vermonters as expeditiously as possible,” said VDL Commissioner Michael Harrington. “Additionally, claimants in Regular UI who have not yet completed the LWA certification should do so to avoid further payment delays.”

The LWA program provides a supplemental weekly benefit payment to eligible claimants. At this time, the grant award ($35.8 million) will cover thefirst three weeks of the LWA program, retroactive to the benefit week ending Aug. 1, 2020. The Department of Labor has submitted an additional application to the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) for an additional three weeks, which would provide a total of six weeksof benefits to Vermonters.
Due to limited funding through the LWA program, claimants are encouraged to certify eligibility to the Department of Labor. ELIGIBILITY

Unemployed or partially unemployed due to COVID-19 for specified weeks.
Weekly benefit amount of $100 or more.

NEXT STEPS FOR ELIGIBLE CLAIMANTS
STEP 1: Check email inbox (and spam folder) for instructions on how to complete COVID-19 certification.
For those without internet, contact the UI Call Center at 1-877-214-3332.
Claimants who did not receive an email were likely not deemed eligible. If you believe this determination to be an error, contact the UI Call Center at 1-877-214-3332.
STEP 2: Submit your response online or over the phone to the prompted question: “Are you unemployed or partially unemployed due to disruptions caused by COVID-19?”
STEP 3: After submitting your answer, the department will review the response and send notification of eligibility to claimants.
For more information on the Department of Labor and unemployment insurance, go to labor.vermont.gov.