Hawaii slated to get nearly $200 million more to fill unemployment claims

HONOLULU, Hawaii (HawaiiNewsNow) - More federal funding is heading to islands to help fulfill unemployment claims.

Senator Brian Schatz announces Saturday that the state is getting nearly $200 million in funding from the Lost Wages Assistance Program, which is administered through FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund. The fund recently got $45 billion from the CARES Act, according to Sen. Schatz’s office.

“While this new funding will provide some immediate help, it’s not enough for Hawai’i families who are struggling to make ends meet,” U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawai’i), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said. “We’ll continue working to secure more federal funding to help Hawai’i get through this tough time.”

The money will be split up into additional payments of $300 a week for the unemployed.

The assistance will be in addition to regular state unemployment benefits.

Its good news for the thousands of Hawaii residents who have lost their jobs due to the pandemic. But still, there are several thousand claims that have yet to be processed.

State officials said many of the unprocessed claims have been delayed due to concerns over fraud and other issues.