Thousands of Nevadans Could Lose Jobless Benefits if COVID Stimulus Not Signed Into Law

By Kellene Stockwell
Dec 24, 2020
Dec 24, 2020 Updated Apr 6, 2022

DETR Sites to Temporarily Shut Down for Maintenance Early Thursday

Tens of thousands of Nevadans may lose their unemployment benefits starting Saturday if President Trump does not sign the Congress-approved COVID-19 stimulus package into law.

The Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation updated the public on Thursday on what may happen to Nevadans still receiving jobless benefits.

DETR says that the current Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program will expire on Saturday, December 26th. Also, about 103,000 Nevadans will lose jobless benefits from the CARES Act signed into law earlier this year. Extended benefits totaling seven additional weeks for 15,000 Nevadans will also expire.

In total, about two-thirds of Nevadans will lose benefits - if the COVID-19 stimulus bill is *not signed into law.

If - and when - President Trump signs the bill into law, an additional eleven weeks of benefits will be added to the Unemployment Insurance, or UI, program. An additional 11 weeks of funds will be added to the PUA program. In addition, an extra $300 will be added to all claimants getting jobless benefits.

As the time of this writing, about 285,000 Nevadans are receiving some form of weekly benefits.

So, if you are someone currently receiving unemployment insurance, what should you to in the meantime, until there a resolution within the federal government?

DETR says keep continuing filing weekly benefits. Because the PUA program expires this weekend, DETR says claimants will be able to file once the program is extended, and can also file retroactive claims. DETR says backlogged entries will be processed and funds paid out to claimants.