BISMARCK — North Dakota residents collecting jobless benefits should get a little help with paying their bills in the next two days.

The extra $600 weekly benefit will begin and will be added in accounts either this Thursday, April 16, or Friday, said Job Service ND Director Bryan Klipfel on Wednesday night.

"This has been a complicated process," Klipfel said in an email. "However, we did resolve the IT issue this week."

The extra $600 per week benefit, paid on top of regular unemployment payments, was approved as part of the federal CARES Act passed last month by Congress to help unemployed workers pay their bills because of forced business shutdowns due to the coronavirus.

The average regular weekly payment in North Dakota is from $400 to $600, but some hospitality workers who survive more on tips were only receiving in the $200 per week range.

Klipfel said starting next week, the extra $600 will be paid on Tuesdays along with an unemployed worker's regular benefit.

He said at one time hoped the extra benefit could be in the hands of North Dakotans by Tuesday of this week. However, IT problems weren't completely resolved.

Minnesotans started receiving their extra weekly benefit last week.

About 80% of North Dakotans on unemployment receive benefits through direct deposits to their bank accounts.

However, about 18% receive payments on debit cards provided by the state, while less than 1% get a paper check, according to Job Service ND Deputy Director Darren Brostrom.

Paper checks are extremely rare, said Brostrom, and issued only when the banking system can't provide an individual with an account or debit card.

The debit card process for the 18% who receive payments that way was changed since the pandemic began, he said. Instead of a wait, the agency worked with the Bank of North Dakota and its debit card provider to provide the debit card immediately upon filing. Those with the debit card can check their balance via the debit card provider. Every week the individual is eligible for benefits, the agency loads the debit card with the amount for which they are eligible, Brostrom said.

Brostrom said applications for unemployment are "still much higher than in a normal environment, but they have slowed down somewhat."



