FEMA ends lost wages assistance program

​​​​AUSTIN – The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Lost Wages Assistance (LWA) program, which provided an additional $300 a week to qualified unemployment claimants, ended Sept. 5, 2020. 

Because the funds provided by FEMA were limited, the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) could not extend payments beyond that date.​

TWC will continue to pay eligible claimants for the approved six weeks—from Aug. 1, 2020, to Sept. 5, 2020—as long as funds remain​ available. Claimants will continue to receive normal weekly benefit amounts for any benefit weeks for which they are eligible.

The LWA program was a temporary provision established after the expiration of the $600 Federal Pandemic Assistance Program, a part of the CARES Act. Other provisions of the federal act do not expire until Dec. 26, 2020.

For more information on eligibility requirements, available benefits, and questions about the unemployment process, visit TWC’s COVID-19 FAQ page.

The Real Estate Center has a wealth of economic information online for free.