
Despite approval in late March, DES still hasn’t announced when unemployment extensions will be available.
Although Arizonans who have exhausted their unemployment benefits have been promised an extension due to the coronavirus pandemic, they are still waiting to see that money come through.
Arizona allows people to receive unemployment checks for 26 weeks. Some people who struggled to find work before the pandemic are seeing their benefits run out at a time when many businesses are still closed or are operating with reduced staff.
RELATED: Read This If You’re Unemployed in Arizona And Have Been Offered Your Job Back
According to the Arizona Department of Economic Security (DES), Arizonans in this situation total about 7,000 people and are supposed to be receiving relief thanks to the federal Coronavirus Assistance, Relief and Economic Security Act. The legislation created the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC), which extends benefits another 13 weeks.
But despite the CARES Act being passed in late March, the Arizona Department of Economic Security still hasn’t announced when PEUC will be available.
The DES website states:
“PEUC provides an additional 13 weeks of emergency unemployment benefits for people who remain unemployed after they’ve exhausted their traditional unemployment benefits. PEUC is not yet available in Arizona. Our Unemployment Insurance team is currently working on implementing the extension of benefits and will provide an update when possible.”
This lagging process mirrors that of the state’s Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program, which allows people who don’t traditionally qualify for benefits to receive relief. Arizona didn’t launch its system for the program until May 12, long after some states had begun operating their versions.
RELATED: Denied For Unemployment? You Might Be Eligible For Arizona’s PUA Program During the Pandemic After All
ABC 15 reported that at least eight other states are already operating PEUC programs.
Confusion due to Arizona’s delays in these systems and other problems with unemployment led to the creation of a Facebook group dedicated to helping people navigate through their claims process.
Nearly 654,000 Arizonans have filed for unemployment, including PUA, since businesses began shutting down in the state.
Looking for the latest Arizona news? Sign up for our daily newsletter and have it delivered straight to your inbox.
Support Our Cause
Thank you for taking the time to read our work. Before you go, we hope you'll consider supporting our values-driven journalism, which has always strived to make clear what's really at stake for Arizonans and our future.
Since day one, our goal here at The Copper Courier has always been to empower people across the state with fact-based news and information. We believe that when people are armed with knowledge about what's happening in their local, state, and federal governments—including who is working on their behalf and who is actively trying to block efforts aimed at improving the daily lives of Arizona families—they will be inspired to become civically engaged.


He said what? 10 things to know about RFK Jr.
The Kennedy family has long been considered “Democratic royalty.” But Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.—son of Robert F. Kennedy, who was assassinated while...

Here’s everything you need to know about this month’s Mercury retrograde
Does everything in your life feel a little more chaotic than usual? Or do you feel like misunderstandings are cropping up more frequently than they...

Arizona expects to be back at the center of election attacks. Its officials are going on offense
Republican Richer and Democrat Fontes are taking more aggressive steps than ever to rebuild trust with voters, knock down disinformation, and...

George Santos’ former treasurer running attack ads in Arizona with Dem-sounding PAC name
An unregistered, Republican-run political action committee from Texas with a deceptively Democratic name and ties to disgraced US Rep. George Santos...