Previous Story
Last day to submit online PUA application is tomorrow
|
Posted on Mar 12 2021
The CNMI Department of Labor is reminding the public that the last day to submit an online Pandemic Unemployment Assistance application is Saturday, March 13, 2021.
PUA claimants may choose to submit their paper applications on the final day of submission on Monday, March 15, 2021. On this date, all applicants, regardless of their last name spelling (A-Z), will be allowed to submit their paper applications from 7:30am to 4:30pm.
New claimants must submit their initial claim and corresponding weekly certifications in order to be considered for the PUA program no later than March 13, 2021.
Applicants who are continuing their weekly certifications and are still in the same status (furloughed/laid off/reduced hours) as they were in the first round of PUA (Feb. 2, 2020, to Dec. 26, 2020), should submit weekly certifications (Dec. 27, 2020, to March 13, 2021) for the second round of the PUA program. All applications received by the department will be reviewed and determined for eligibility of the PUA benefits.
The department is also announcing that additional PUA coordinators will be assigned to assist claimants with the adjudication process. In this regard, the number of PUA telephone lines will be reduced to allow more staff to focus on expediting PUA applications, assisting claimants, and administering the payments of the unemployment benefits. An announcement with the new telephone numbers will be made soon.
Additional updates
On Feb. 17, 2021, the CNMI Department of Labor was notified of the grant award from the U.S. Department of Labor, amounting to $184,800,000. Of this amount, $92,400,000 is for the PUA benefits and $92,400,000 is for the FPUC benefits. The department was also granted $210,000 to incorporate additional funding for Identity Verification of PUA claimants and to assist with efforts to prevent and detect fraud, identity theft and recover fraud overpayments in the PUA program. Note that is a revised grant award by the U.S. Department of Labor from the previous announcement of $276,800,000.
The CNMI Department of Labor is working in conjunction with the Department of Finance to issue PUA benefits to the thousands of eligible PUA claimants within the next few weeks. (PR)
