PORTLAND, Ore. — The Oregon Employment Department announced Thursday it is now providing benefits through the CARES Act Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) program.
PEUC is a 13-week extension of unemployment insurance benefits for people who have run out of regular benefits. If you’re approved, PEUC provides the same amount of money as your regular benefit amount. You are also eligible to receive the weekly $600 Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation benefit for each eligible week between March 29 and July 25, 2020.
Who is eligible?
PEUC is retroactive to March 29, 2020 and lasts for up to 13 weeks through December 26, 2020.
There are two ways to become eligible for PEUC benefits:
- If you have used up all benefits from a current claim for regular unemployment benefits, but the period of the claim has not expired, and you don’t have another regular unemployment claim available in another state.
- If you were unemployed and ran out of regular unemployment benefits after July 1, 2019, and you don’t have another regular unemployment claim available to them in another state.
If you are still eligible for regular unemployment benefits you are not eligible for PEUC until those other benefits have run out.
How to apply for PEUC
Once you have run out of benefits, or your claim is expired, there are three ways to apply:
- Online Claim System – If you have exhausted your regular unemployment benefits, your claim has not expired, and you file weekly using the employment department’s Online Claims System, you will be presented with an option to file for PEUC when you submit your weekly claim for the first week with a $0 balance. If you select this option, you will automatically be placed into the PEUC program. Make sure you continue filing a claim for benefits each week.
- Secure Upload – If your claim for regular unemployment benefits already expired and you are eligible for PEUC, you will receive a letter from the employment department instructing you how to complete the PUEC application and how to restart your claim. You can apply using the secure upload.
- Mail – If you are eligible for PEUC but cannot access the electronic systems you can mail your application. The application is available on the CARES Act page of the department’s website or by calling 503-947-1563 and leaving a message requesting an application.
More information from the Oregon Employment Department can be found here.
