For Immediate Release
Date: February 21, 2021
Contact: Office of Government, Policy and Public Relations - cdle_pr@state.co.us
State Labor Dept. Day 2 of Phase 2 Benefits Update: More Than $83 million Paid to 85,000 People
(DENVER) -- Today the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE) announced that since deploying Phase 2 of the Continued Assistance Act (CAA) on February 20th, it has paid more than $83 million to more than 85,000 people. Phase 2 allowed claimants to reopen and file new Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) and Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) claims.
The Continued Assistance Act provides 11 additional weeks of federal PUA and PEUC benefits. Additionally, the act reestablished the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) program, which provides unemployment recipients with an additional $300 weekly benefit.
All new PUA claimants will be required to go through ID.me verification. This is a federal requirement adding an extra step for claimants, however, it greatly reduces fraudulent activity. Claimants will have 21 days to do this and payment will not be released until it is completed. If a claimant has reopened a claim or filed a new claim that has an integrity hold or locked account please complete the integrity hold online form.
The Call Center will be open extended hours Monday, February 22 and Tuesday February 23 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
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