WASHINGTON -- FEMA Administrator Pete Gaynor approved Washington D.C. for a FEMA grant under the Lost Wages Assistance program. FEMA’s grant funding will allow the District of Columbia to provide $300 per week -- on top of their regular unemployment benefit -- to those unemployed due to COVID-19. FEMA will work with District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser to implement a system to make this funding available to residents.
On Aug. 8, 2020, President Trump made available up to $44 billion from FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund to provide financial assistance to Americans who have lost wages due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, the District of Columbia agreed to administer a lost wages program for its citizens who are unemployed due to COVID-19.
FEMA looks forward to working with the governors of additional states who agree to administer a lost wages program to bring financial relief to unemployed Americans.