From the NJDOL:

Eligible Claimants to Receive First 2 Weeks of Payments – up to $600 – This Week 

TRENTON – The New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (NJDOL) announced it had successfully processed more than a half-million supplemental unemployment payments, and eligible claimants would begin seeing two weeks worth of benefits – $600 total – in direct deposit accounts or on debit cards as soon as Tuesday, depending on their bank. 

The weekly payments are available through a new COVID-19 stimulus package – the Continued Assistance to Unemployed Workers Act of 2020, signed into law on Dec. 27 – and are in addition to regular unemployment benefits. The supplemental payments are available automatically to anyone currently receiving unemployment in any amount through March 13. The first week of eligibility was the week ending Jan. 2. 

“Claimants are receiving payments for their first two weeks of eligibility,” said Labor Commissioner Robert Asaro-Angelo. “These critical funds will continue to be available weekly without claimants having to take any action.” 

The Department successfully processed 533,000 payments over the weekend worth a total of $296 million, after hitting an unforeseen snag the prior week, delaying payment. The complication arose running the new Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) program while simultaneously running the prior program, which had different payout amounts, but must be kept active under federal law. 

The Department also processed 3,700 payments from the prior FPUC program. 

Under the new stimulus act, 460,000 claimants currently collecting Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) or Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC), plus 80,000 claimants collecting Extended Benefits (EB), are eligible for an 11-week extension, and are seeing no interruption in benefits. They should continue certifying for weekly benefits.  

Approximately 33,000 claimants have exhausted their initial PUA, PEUC or Extended Benefits. They will experience a lapse in payments while NJDOL awaits guidance from the US Labor Department on how it is allowed to distribute these benefits. The Department has communicated with this group of claimants and they will be notified when they can resume certifying for weekly benefits. 

For more information on unemployment benefits, visit myunemployment.nj.gov.   

To view current job openings in the state, visit New Jersey’s jobs portal here: jobs.covid19.nj.gov.