$300 Weekly Unemployment Benefits: Why Some Ohioans Aren't Getting It Yet

Some Ohioans still haven’t received their $300 extra per week in weekly unemployment benefits as the pandemic continues, and they might have to continue to wait to apply for additional benefits.

The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services announced in a press release Tuesday (January 19) that it had begun issuing the weekly payments after a new system programming update.

But so far, only some Ohioans have begun to receive them.

The people who have begun to receive the benefits are those who did not exhaust unemployment benefits before December 27, cleveland.com reported Wednesday (January 20).

“I know and understand that is too long,” said Director of the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services Kim Henderson. “We are working diligently to press our vendor...to advance the readiness of that program.”

The expanded benefits were part of a stimulus package passed in late December. People who are eligible to receive retroactive payments will receive them dating back to December 27, according to the release.

She added that by January 31 — but “hopefully sooner” than that — people who exhausted unemployment benefits before December 27 will be able to apply to receiving benefits again. Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program applications for new applicants should be open by February 6, and to previous applicants by February 26.

Each claim is important to us. We understand the urgency of providing Ohioans with the resources they need to support their families,” Henderson said in the release. “We worked quickly to align our system with the new requirements, and I am pleased that we can now provide much-needed relief to eligible claimants.”

Photo: Getty Images


Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content