AZDES disperses $355M in first week of coronavirus unemployment benefits

PHOENIX — The Arizona Department of Economic Security paid out more than $355 million in coronavirus-related unemployment benefits in the first week of the new Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program.

According to the report, the system received 77,053 initial claims under the program and paid out $355,870,044 in benefits.

“The demand for this assistance is significant, and by continuing to distribute benefits to our communities, we can support families in need, as well as our state’s economic recovery,” department director Tom Betlach said in a press release Monday.

The program provides an additional $600 per week in unemployment benefits to those who are unemployed, partially unemployed or unable to work due to COVID-19.

It also helps people who wouldn’t normally qualify for traditional unemployment, like those who are self-employed, seeking part-time employment, lack sufficient work history or have exhausted all rights to unemployment benefits.

The funds for the program came from the $2 trillion coronavirus relief bill.

Prior to launching the system, AZDES determined more than 165,00 individuals were eligible for the program based on the information provided in their initial unemployment insurance claims.

AZDES used a third-party system to launch the program Wednesday, which was initially delayed.

This week marks the first that the program is accepting weekly claims.

Last week, 31,901 new unemployment claims were filed, brining the total number of unemployment claims in the state to 303,012.

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