Unemployed Texans Still Waiting On State To Apply For Additional $300 Benefit
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - More than a week after President Donald Trump signed an executive order for $300 a week in added unemployment aid, out-of-work Texans have yet to see the money.
Before the money can be added to unemployment payments, Governor Greg Abbott must apply for the federal funds and Texas would need to match $100 in benefits for every $300 from the federal government.
So far, Abbott has not said whether Texas will do this.
Eight states, including Oklahoma and Louisiana, have applied for the federal funds.
The federal government is pulling $44 billion from FEMA's hurricane disaster fund to pay for the $300 federal unemployment benefit, which is in addition to the state's normal unemployment amount.
According to FEMA, states could get its matching $100 contribution from CARES Act dollars.
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States may also be able to use dollars already included in the state's weekly unemployment payment instead of kicking in an additional $100 match.
Many states remain concerned whether Trump's executive order is legal. If challenged, states don't want to be left on the hook for all the money.
Abbott is expected the make a decision whether to accept the federal unemployment funds in the coming days.
If that happens soon, Texans could see the added money on their unemployment payments as soon as August 29.
The added benefit will likely last three weeks before Congress would need to step in and decide whether to extend it.