HONOLULU — The Hawaii State Department of Labor & Industrial Relations (DLIR) today announced that programming updates and federal funding has allowed the department to initiate benefit payments for PUA claimants that have certified eligible claims for the week ending January 2, 2021, which will process this weekend. The $300 plus-up (FPUC) is included in the payments for PUA claimants. Eligible claimants that certify claims on Sunday, January 9 for the week ending January 8 will also have their claims processed, including the $300 plus-up, and receive payment midweek.

The department is diligently working to build additional programs within its unemployment computer system to process the other revised federal benefits and bring much-needed relief to eligible claimants. Any benefits delayed will be paid retroactively if necessary and claimants will be made whole. The DLIR will make announcements via its website, news releases, in the unemployment insurance portal, and at https://twitter.com/HI_DLIR as it implements provisions of the COVID-19 relief bill.

Important note: None of the benefits described above, nor unemployment benefits of any kind, are available to employees who are terminated for cause, quit their job without good cause, refuse to return to work, or refuse to receive full-time pay. Attempts to collect benefit payments in these situations could be viewed as fraudulent. Investigation of job separation is part of the eligibility determination process.

For more information about unemployment insurance and other labor issues please visit the FAQs at https://labor.hawaii.gov/covid-19-labor-faqs/.