CHEYENNE – The Wyoming Department of Workforce Services (DWS) announced today that the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) program is now available to Unemployment Insurance (UI) claimants. The program is an extension of PEUC benefits established by the CARES Act and provides an additional extension of benefits for up to 11 weeks to eligible claimants who have exhausted their regular benefits.

“After completing the difficult task of reprogramming the Unemployment Insurance (UI) system, we are pleased that the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation program is open and ready to process claims,” said Holly McKamey Simoni, Workforce Programs Administrator for DWS. “Those claimants who have been filing continued claims should see funds by the end of next week.”

The recent extension of the PEUC program was signed into law on December 27, 2020. Claimants who were unemployed at that time may be eligible to be paid retroactively for the weeks they were unemployed, dating back to December 27.

DWS continues work on the programming for the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program and Multiple Earner Unemployment Compensation (MEUC) program.