Frequently Asked Questions About Receiving Supplemental Payments for Lost Wages

The state, territory and the District of Columbia is to include the $300 or $400 on the ONA Option Selection Form. Instructions are below for completing the FEMA Form 010-0-11: Individuals and Households Program (IHP) - Other Needs Assistance Administrative Option Selection that includes the correct selections for a grant to administer supplemental payments for lost wages are available below.

• On page 3, complete the ADDITIONAL ONA ITEMS Section. In the first box under ADDITIONAL ONA ITEMS include the following information:
• Line Item: Write “Individual Weekly Supplemental Lost Wages Benefit -- $300 or $400.
• ONA Category: Write “Miscellaneous”.
• Standard Quantity: Write “1”.
• Maximum Quantity Awarded: Write “N/A”.
• Justification/Situations for Use: Write “Supplemental payments for lost wages needed as a result of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus pandemic, as authorized by the Presidential Memorandum on Authorizing the Other Needs Assistance Program for Major Disaster Declarations Related to Coronavirus Disease 2019.”

At grant close out, the state, territory and the District of Columbia will need to demonstrate how they met the statutory cost share. The state, territory and the District of Columbia will be responsible for demonstrating 25% of the total aggregate grant award. For the $300 option, states, territories and the District of Columbia can satisfy this cost share by showing that they expended state/territory funds equivalent to at least 25% of the total grant amount on regular unemployment payments to individuals who received lost wages supplemental payments, retroactive to the week ending August 1, 2020.

States, territories and the District of Columbia must provide the following forms available to download and submit with instructions at the Grants.gov SF-424 Forms Repository:

• Standard Form (SF) 424, Application for Federal Assistance
• SF-424A Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs
• To include a weekly benefits and individual projection for each category of benefits listed in the description of “eligible individuals” provided
• SF-424B Assurances for Non-Construction Programs
• Grants.gov Lobbying Form
• SF-LLL Disclosure of Lobbying Activities
• Attachments Form
  • Complete this form by attaching a signed State Administrative Plan which includes relevant state, territory and the District of Columbia procedures for grant administration and FEMA ONA Option Selection Form 010-0-11

The state, territory and the District of Columbia unemployment agency responsible for administering the supplemental lost wages payments should apply for the grant. This will ensure that the recipient identified in the grant award will be able to access grant funds from the Treasury to administer the payments allocated to their DUNS number. The state, territory and the District of Columbia emergency management agency may have experience with applications for ONA grants and should be consulted to provide technical assistance as necessary.

The President has authorized the FEMA Administrator to provide grants to states, territories or District of Columbia to make supplemental lost wages payments to those receiving unemployment insurance compensation, in accordance with sections 408(e)(2) and (f) of the Stafford Act (42 U.S.C. §§§ 5174(e)(2), (f)). Tribal members can access supplemental lost wages payments through their state’s/territory’s unemployment agency, as they do with regular unemployment.

Awards are being processed on an ongoing basis. Information regarding the grants that have been awarded can be found in FEMA’s media releases on FEMA.gov.

No, states, territories and the District of Columbia may not use the funds in their state unemployment account in the UTF to process funding for supplemental lost wages payments. States, territories and the District of Columbia must establish a separate account to receive the funding to pay supplemental lost wages assistance as it must be able to account for these funds separately from its state unemployment accounts.

FEMA grants for lost wages supplemental payments will continue until the earlier of:

1. FEMA expends $44 billion from the Disaster Relief Fund (DRF).
2. The total unobligated balance of the DRF decreases to $25 billion.
3. Legislation is enacted that provides, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, supplemental federal unemployment compensation or similar compensation for unemployed or partially-employed individual.
4. December 27, 2020 which is the end of the period of assistance for the grants.

FEMA will use data from the Department of Labor, as well as state, territory or District of Columbia data received on applications to project the overall funding distributions. Approved grant applicants will receive an initial obligation of three weeks of needed funding. Additional disbursements will be made on a weekly basis in order to ensure that funding remains available for the states who apply for the grant assistance.

Yes, grant applications and completed administrative plans must be received by September 10, 2020 in order to be considered for a grant. States, territories and the District of Columbia are strongly encouraged to apply as early as possible as program funding is limited.

The period of assistance is the week ending August 1, 2020 to December 27, 2020 or termination of the program, whichever is sooner. Assistance from FEMA for providing supplemental payments for lost wages may terminate prior to December 27, 2020 if:

1. FEMA expends $44 billion from the Disaster Relief Fund (DRF) for supplemental lost wages assistance.
2. The total, unobligated balance of the DRF decreases to $25 billion,
3. Legislation is enacted that provides, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, supplemental federal pandemic unemployment compensation or similar compensation for unemployed or partially unemployed individuals.

The only category of ONA authorized by the President for COVID-19 declarations is supplemental lost wages payments. Authorization of additional assistance remains under consideration.