The Delaware Department of Labor, in its effort to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, reached another milestone this week by paying the first Pandemic Unemployment Assistance claims to eligible Delawareans, the agency said in a statement. The Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program signed into law on March 27, 2020, by the president, provides benefits for independent contractors and self-employed workers in the state of Delaware.
The new PUA system was launched on May 16, 2020 and since its launch over 6,000 claims have been filed, reflecting more than $24 million dollars in benefits requested, according to the agency.
In response to the recent rise of unemployment fraud in many states throughout the country, the testing of Delaware’s new PUA system was extended. Our focus in the coming weeks is to improve the speed with which claims are processed, reviewed, and paid. Next week and in the weeks to come, more claimants will begin to receive this long awaited and much needed assistance.
If you have registered for (PUA) benefits, please continue filing your weekly certifications to ensure your benefits are processed and disbursed as soon as possible.
For questions, or if you require more information regarding your PUA benefit claim, please visit https://PUA.delawareworks.com,
or call 302-368-6600 | 302-739-5461 | 302-856-5611
Source: DOL