Previous Story
Kilili says 384 claims for PUA, PFUC are still pending
As of Dec. 4, 2021, $260.8M in PUA/PFUC given to CNMI workers
Delegate Gregorio Kilili C. Sablan ( Ind-MP) said over the weekend that there are still 384 claims for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, and Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation pending in the Marianas.
In his e-kilili newsletter, Sablan said the U.S. Labor Department had reported to the congressional office this week that a total of 16,788 applicants have already received assistance since the PUA and PFUC programs began in June 2020.
He said that, according to U.S. Labor, total aid to Marianas workers as of Dec. 4, 2021 is $260,885,306—an average of $15,540 per eligible applicant.
Last week, CNMI Labor Secretary Vicky Benavente disclosed that any unspent PUA and FPUC funds will be sent back to U.S. Labor. Benavente said the official closeout date of the PUA/FPUC program is June 2022, and any unspent funds under the program will be returned to U.S. Labor after.
Sablan said when the U.S. Congress created PUA and PFUC to supplement state unemployment systems, he was able to include a provision allowing the CNMI to participate, even though the Commonwealth has no unemployment insurance for workers.
Sablan said he also made clear in Public Law 116-260 that foreign workers, laid off because of COVID-19, were entitled to unemployment assistance.
He said this was Congress’ original intention, but was initially overridden by the Trump administration.
The delegate said that after President Joe Biden came into office, together with Guam Delegate Michael San Nicolas and 11 other Democratic colleagues, he asked for review of this Trump policy and Biden agreed.
He said the “Marianas (kk) expansion,” as the Congressional Research Service now calls the Biden administration interpretation of a provision of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, allowed any individual, who previously filed a PUA/PFUC claim and was denied for any week, to be able to self-certify eligibility under the updated eligibility criteria and receive unemployment aid retroactively.
