UPDATE: Unemployed in Tennessee to receive additional $300 after approval of FEMA funding

Tennessee has received approval for federal funding to augment the amount of money distributed to unemployed people in the state, officials said.

The Tennessee Department of Labor & Workforce Development said Monday that the Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved the state’s grant application for the Lost Wages Assistance unemployment benefit.

The $300 benefit will be added to the current maximum state payout of $275. Payments will be retroactive to Aug. 1, the department said. Claimants currently receiving benefits do not need to take any action because the state will automatically add the benefit of the lost wages to their weekly payment.

The request was made after the end of a $600 per-week payout put in place under the federal CARES Act, the emergency assistance package created by Congress to deal with financial effects from the new coronavirus response.

Unemployment in Tennessee skyrocketed after businesses closed or limited operations amid the virus outbreak.

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