Reviewing Delaware's response to COVID-19-related unemployment

In a matter of weeks, many aspects of our lives have changed in dramatic ways. With everyone collectively experiencing a seismic shift, we wanted to put together a guide for what to do with your new situation, from filing for unemployment for the first time, to learning how the government is dealing with record joblessness.

What is Delaware doing?

Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Stability Act (CARES Act), which provides expanded unemployment benefits, among other things. This came in response to record unemployment rates. The Delaware Department of Labor (DDOL) alone announced it received over 60,000 unemployment claims in four weeks, double the amount it received in all of 2019.

Part of the CARES Act extends unemployment benefits for eligible employees for up to 13 weeks. Workers whose benefits expired between July 1, 2019, and April 18, 2020, can apply for the extension at http://ui.delawareworks.com. Other workers whose benefits expire after April 19 will automatically have the 13-week extension applied once existing benefits are exhausted.

Workers eligible for the 13-week extension will also receive an extra $600 federal payment per week. Normal unemployment benefits won't be recalculated, but this $600 will be added to what eligible recipients are already receiving. The additional payment is already being added to unemployment benefits.