400,000 individuals will receive $300 in Lost Wages Assistance (LWA

BATON ROUGE – Approximately 400,000 eligible unemployment insurance claimants will receive weekly Lost Wage Assistance (LWA) payments beginning tomorrow, Wednesday. The retroactive payments will include the weeks ending August 1, August 8 and August 15, 2020. All claimants need to continue to file their weekly certifications in order to be eligible for future weekly benefits.

Additionally, 20,000 unemployment insurance claimants could qualify for LWA. These claimants may have had their employment disrupted by COVID-19. This week, these individuals will receive an email from the LWC to update their claim information. No additional action is needed at this time, the LWC will contact claimants directly. The LWC encourages everyone to ensure that their email address they are required to provide at time of filing is correct.

Subsequent weeks will be processed as additional funds are received from Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). No additional action is needed from the approximately 400,000 eligible individuals in order to receive these funds.

These efforts come after Gov. John Bel Edwards’ continued commitment to making sure Louisiana citizens received payments despite challenges associated with navigating two federal agencies.

The agency will continue to work diligently with the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) and additional federal partners to extend LWA to all those who may be eligible.

“Since late March, the LWC has worked tirelessly to ensure that we meet Governor John Bel Edwards’ directive of paying Louisiana residents the funds they are entitled to in a timely manner,” said Louisiana Workforce Commission Secretary Ava Dejoie. “All that we continue to accomplish could not have been possible without the efforts of LWC staff, Commissioner Jay Dardenne, Governor’s Executive Council and Louisiana State Treasurer John Schroder working towards the same common goal of providing financial assistance as quickly as possible.”

Despite the current threat from tropical systems in the Gulf of Mexico, the LWC’s unemployment insurance call centers will remain open to assist individual claimants. The LWC’s call center will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Resources for Employers and Job Seekers

Job-seekers can explore careers, apply for top-rated jobs and connect with local training providers using Louisiana Star Jobs, the LWC’s free career tool, at http://www.laworks.net/Stars/. Employers looking for workers should visit Louisiana’s employment homepage at http://www.laworks.net. Click on HiRE (Helping Individuals Reach Employment) and create an account allowing access to qualified job seekers.

About the Louisiana Workforce Commission

The Louisiana Workforce Commission is an agency of state government that administers programs designed to enhance workforce growth and provide family-sustaining jobs for Louisiana residents. The commission monitors employment, administers unemployment compensation and tax funds, provides training resources for employers and employees and oversees worker compensation benefits. The agency also gathers and supplies information on the labor market and occupational sectors in Louisiana.

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