(WASHINGTON, DC) – Today, Mayor Muriel Bowser and the District of Columbia Department of Employment Services (DOES) announced approval of the District’s application to participate in the Lost Wages Assistance (LWA) Program, which was created in response to the expiration of the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) $600 weekly benefit in July.

The funds will allow the District to offer an additional unemployment compensation benefit of $300 per week to eligible unemployment insurance recipients. To be eligible for this benefit, individuals must have a weekly benefit amount of at least $100 per week from an approved unemployment compensation program and must certify that they are unemployed or partially unemployed due to disruptions caused by COVID-19. Payments would be retroactive to August 1, 2020 and the District expects recipients will start receiving payments by the first week of October.