FEMA to Send $200 Million to Bolster Hawai‘i Unemployment Funding

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is sending funds to bolster unemployment in Hawai‘i.

FEMA announced over the weekend that it had approved a $193,933,095 grant to the state to provide those unemployed due to COVID-19 with an additional $300 per week on top of their regular unemployment benefits.

“While this new funding will provide some immediate help, it’s not enough for Hawai‘i families who are struggling to make ends meet,” said US Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. “We’ll continue working to secure more federal funding to help Hawai‘i get through this tough time.”

The Lost Wages Assistance Program is funded by FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund, which received $45 billion from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act.