President Donald Trump’s boost to unemployment benefits is already ending for some jobless Americans even as the additional payments are just starting for others.
CNN reported that at least 12 states have started to pay unemployed workers hundreds of dollars from the Lost Wages Assistance program, authorized last month by the president.
The money, part of mitigation efforts to blunt the impact of the outbreak of the coronavirus, was authorized on Aug. 8 by Trump following the July 31 expiration of the previous supplemental unemployment benefit authorized by Congress.
CNN said the measure provides $300 a week to certain unemployed Americans using federal disaster relief funds for a limited time. Only those who qualify for at least $100 in state benefits are eligible, and payments are retroactive to the beginning of August.
Texas was one of the first states to implement the program, according to the news network. It had sent out the initial payments in late August for the first three weeks of that month. The state had announced the program will cease in Texas the week ending Sept. 5.
Forty-eight states and the District of Columbia have already been approved for the program.
And some states are just beginning to get the additional money flowing.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said some of Florida’s jobless workers will start getting payments this week.
At least four states — Kansas, Kentucky, Montana, and West Virginia — have exercised the option of adding $100 a week to the payment.
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