California is participating in the Lost Wages Assistance (LWA) program, which was authorized by the Presidential Memorandum. This will provide an additional $300 per week if your weekly benefit amount was at least $100 per week between July 26 and August 15, even if you received less because you reported wages.

You must certify that your earnings have been impacted by COVID-19. This includes regular Unemployment Insurance (UI), Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA), Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation, or FED-ED extensions. The payments are available for a limited period of time. Payments are for weeks of unemployment beginning July 26.

We will process these additional payments in two phases:

Phase 1 began on September 7, 2020.

If you indicated that you were unemployed or partially unemployed due to COVID-19 when filing for unemployment, whether it was regular UI or PUA, you will automatically receive LWA payments. No further action is needed.

LWA payments are being issued based on when you certified for regular UI or PUA benefits for the weeks between July 26 and August 15. The payments will be added to your regular unemployment amount for any eligible weeks. Payments will be issued retroactively for weeks that you have already received unemployment benefits, beginning July 26.

Visit LWA Payments to learn how you will receive payment.

All payments in phase one are scheduled to be completed in the next couple of weeks.

Phase 2 is in progress.

If you did not indicate that you were unemployed or partially unemployed due to COVID-19 when you filed for unemployment, you must provide a one-time self-certification.

We will contact you using UI Online as well as by email, text, or mailed notice asking you to provide the information needed to process your payments. Do this as soon as possible. You might not receive LWA payments if you respond late or if the funding for this program becomes unavailable. For faster service and prompt notifications, register in UI Online.

If we find that you are not eligible, you will receive a Notice of Determination for Lost Wages Assistance (LWA) Program (DE 6330LWA) in the mail.

After phases one and two, we will issue two additional weeks of LWA payments, recently approved by the federal government. These payments will be for weeks of unemployment between August 16 and August 29, 2020. Additionally, California is applying for a sixth week of payments for the week beginning August 30 based upon the availability of federal funds. More information will be provided when available.