HONOLULU – The state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations (DLIR) last week announced updated unemployment insurance claims information, including paying $2,918,251,462 and 2,874,671 weeks claimed since the onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic on March 1, 2020.

“We are still experiencing a significant increase of workers still attached to an employer being fully released from employment. These individuals will need to report the separation when filing a weekly claim certification. Claimants can review the correct way to do this at labor.hawaii.gov/ui/main/reactivate-your-claim-and-report-job-separation/ before filing their weekly claim certification,” said Acting Director Anne Eustaquio.

With the assistance of the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency (HI-EMA), the DLIR applied to participate in a new unemployment insurance plus up program called the Lost Wages Assistance (LWA) Program. The program, under the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), was created by the president via a memorandum earlier this month in response to the July expiration of the unemployment $600 weekly benefit.

“We’re diligently building a new program within the unemployment computer system to implement and pay LWA benefits as soon as possible,” said Acting Director Eustaquio.

“To qualify for the $300 plus-up, recipients must be eligible for at least $100 in weekly benefits and must certify that they are unemployed or partially unemployed due to the disruptions caused by COVID-19. Payments would be retroactive to August 1, 2020.”

For more information about unemployment insurance and other labor issues visit labor.hawaii.gov/covid-19-labor-faqs/.