Missouri extended unemployment benefits go into effect this week

Missouri’s labor department will start handing out an extra $300 a week in unemployment benefits provided by the federal government beginning this week.

According to a message on the department's website, the Division of Employment Security has begun processing the $300 Lost Wages Assistance (LWA) payments. Payments for the week ending Aug. 1, Aug. 8, and Aug. 15 wil be processed separately.

Eligible individuals (those qualified for a minimum of $100 in state unemployment benefits) should not expect to receive all their payments on the same day. The first retroactive payment should be issued by the end of the week of Aug. 19 and all others by the end of the week of Sept. 5.

The department noted that the payment may show in your UInteract account up to 24 hours before the payment is released to the bank. Then, it could take up to 48 hours for processing time before the payment is in your account.

People out of work were getting an extra federally funded $600 a week on top of state unemployment benefits, but that expired at the end of July.

With Congress and President Donald Trump so far unable to agree to a broader new coronavirus relief plan, the president signed an executive order Aug. 8 to extend the added weekly benefit, but cut it to $300 or $400 a week.

Trump’s executive order keeps the program in place until late December, though it will be scrapped if Congress comes up with a different program or if the money for the program is depleted.