If you applied for Unemployment Insurance (UI) or Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) earlier in the COVID-19 public health emergency, you may have exhausted or are about to exhaust your benefits. These extension are not automatic, however. You will need to apply and fill out an application to receive extended support.
UI lasts for 26 weeks and there are two 13-week extension programs and one 7-week extension program available: Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation and Extended Benefits (EB). PUA lasts for 39 initial weeks and one 7-week extension is available for through the EB program.
Click here (Español, አማርኛ) to download our Extended Benefits Fact Sheet on both programs.
Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation
If you started receiving UI on or after July 1, 2019 and have collected benefits for 26 weeks, you are eligible for the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) 13-week extension.
You will need to apply for PEUC at the end of your initial 26 benefit weeks. To apply, visit does.dcnetworks.org/initialclaims and follow the prompts.
PEUC is available until December 26, 2020. You will receive the same weekly amount you received through your initial UI, unless your income has changed. Additional information from the Department of Employment Services (DOES) on PEUC is here.
Extended Benefits
UI users who have exhausted both their initial 26 weeks of UI benefits and their 13-week PEUC extension are eligible for an additional 13 weeks of benefits through the Extended Benefits (EB) program. Once you exhaust those first 13 weeks, you may also eligible for an additional 7 weeks of benefits through EB if there remains high unemployment levels.
NEW! Following legislation introduced by Councilmember Silverman, PUA users are now also eligible for 7 additional weeks of support through EB when unemployment levels remain high.
You can apply for EB at the end of your 13-week PEUC extension. To apply, visit does.dcnetworks.org/initialclaims and follow the prompts.
You will receive the same weekly amount you received through UI and PEUC or PUA, unless your income has changed. EB will be available for as long as unemployment levels in the District remain higher than normal.
Materials to Have Ready
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Your social security number
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Your most recent 30-day employer’s name, address, phone number and dates of employment
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Your Alien Registration Number, if you are not a US Citizen
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Your DD214, if you are ex-military
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Your Standard Form 8 or Standard Form 50, if you are a former federal employee
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Severance pay information (only applicable if you did or will receive severance pay)
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Pension (if you have or will receive pension benefits)
Click here to return to our main Unemployment page for additional resources.