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Over 6,000 receive LWA
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Posted on Jul 07 2021
The CNMI Department of Labor reports that over 6,000 individuals have received Lost Wages Assistance, a federal program that gives $300 to those who’ve already been approved to receive unemployment benefits and were unemployed or working fewer hours due to disruptions caused by COVID-19.
As of April, CNMI DOL says it has paid off over 6,300 individuals who were qualified for the $300 payment a week for the week ending Aug. 1, Aug. 8, and/or Aug. 15, 2020.
However, individuals who qualify and have yet to receive a payment can still claim their LWA but the deadline for submission of claims is July 20, 2021.
For those who want to submit a claim, send your name and contact number to lwa@pa.gov.mp or call CNMI DOL at 323-8800 or 323-8801 from Monday through Friday between the hours of 7:30am and 4:30pm.
According to Saipan Tribune archives, the LWA Program grant comes from Federal Emergency Management Agency and its intended beneficiaries are workers who have had reduced hours due to the disruptions caused by COVID-19.
The same workers who already received Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program will also benefit from the LWA, according to DOL.
The CNMI was approved for $7.7 million for LWA last Sept. 16, 2020.
LWA is an employment assistance program that receives funding from FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund.
LWA allows distribution of an additional $300 weekly supplement to individuals who received unemployment benefits and was implemented to replace the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance that expired in July 2020.
Eligible claimants don’t have to apply for LWA because DOL went through its HireMarianas portal to determine LWA-eligible individuals to process payments.
