RICHMOND, Va. -- The Virginia Employment Commission (VEC) launched an application portal to the new federal Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) benefits program.
The program provides an additional 13 weeks of regular unemployment insurance benefits to individuals who have already used the benefits.
It is the third new benefits program created in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Earlier this week, the VEC determined that more than 35,000 people are possibly eligible for the PEUC program and notified them.
The program applies to those whose benefit years ended on or after July 6, 2019.
Payments are scheduled to start next week and will be retroactive.
The first payable week under PEUC began on April 4, 2020.
The Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation program, which provides an additional $600 a week, will automatically be added to the weekly benefit amount under the PEUC claim.
The final payable week for the additional $600 a week ends on July 25, 2020.
For PEUC, the benefits program ends on December 26, 2020.
For more information on the new benefits program visit the VEC's website here.