WA ESD Gets $44 Million Relief from “Lost Wages Grant”

It will provide some additional relief for workers who've run out of unemployment benefits, or those who filed claims between July 26 and August 15. However, it may not be available to certain unemployed persons.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is granting $44 million to Washington State through the Lost Wages Grant, and Monday it was approved by the Feds. Various amounts are being allocated to other hard hit states as well.

According to ESD Director Suzy Levine, it will help with those whose $600 checks went down or away after the CARES Act expired. It's ironic, however, that Washington state is receiving money from the "Lost Wages" Grant, on the heels of the largest unemployment scam in US history; when Nigerian hackers stole hundreds of millions of dollars from the Washington state ESD (Employment Security Department).

Part of the FEMA Release read as follows:

"On Aug. 8, 2020, President Trump made available up to $44 billion from FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund to provide financial assistance to Americans who have lost wages due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, the state of Washington agreed to administer a lost wages program for its citizens who are unemployed due to COVID-19.

FEMA looks forward to working with the governors of additional states who agree to administer a lost wages program to bring financial relief to unemployed Americans."

Washington state found out over the weekend their applications etc. were approved.