I have received many frantic messages worried about the DOL saying that this week is the final week for the additional $600 Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC).

Don’t worry.

This just means, as we knew all along, that the extra $600 per week is only for the months of April – July. And now it is the end of July. 

So you will still get the $600 for the week ending this coming Sunday, July 26, and you will not get the $600 for the week ending August 2 and on.  All future weeks will only be the regular amount (between $104 and $504 a week) without the extra $600. There is a good chance that there will be another weekly extra amount passed into law. I will write about it once it is confirmed.

Applied and didn’t get back pay? 

If you applied already and haven’t received the $600 in back payments for the weeks since your effective unemployment date, don’t worry. You should still get the $600 payments for April-July even if it takes longer than by next week to get the backpay.

Didn’t apply yet and are worried that today is the last day to apply?

If you haven’t applied yet and will apply retroactively, you should still get the additional $600 for all the weeks from your effective unemployment date, even if you apply in August (for now I believe it’s if you apply before December 27 2020). I do recommend that if you are going to apply, you do so earlier rather than later – that’s a general good rule to live by – but don’t panic.

So what was this message from the DOL?

The message simply reminded people that this is the last week for the extra $600, and not to be shocked when after next week you stop seeing the additional $600 each week.

Summary

Unemployment payments are backdated to the date you were no longer able to work due to Covid. If that time includes any weeks between April and July, you will receive the extra $600 for those weeks, even if you only apply 

You should still apply as soon as you are eligible. But don’t panic that you missed it if you didn’t do it yet.