Ongoing Workload-Based Administrative Funding for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) Under the CARES Act

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) released Unemployment Insurance Program Letter (UIPL) No. 02-25, providing guidance for states to apply for administrative funding to support continued workload-based operations of CARES Act-related unemployment programs, including Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC), Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA), Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC), and Mixed Earners Unemployment Compensation (MEUC). This funding addresses administrative costs for these programs, now operating under new grants with specified funding allocation and reporting requirements. States must submit separate SF-424 applications for each program, adhering to program-specific reporting metrics and deadlines. Each program requires states to maintain compliance with workload reporting and data submission standards as outlined in prior UIPLs. For example, PUA administrative funding relies on data from ETA 902P reports, while PEUC funding references ETA 5159 and UI-3 reports. New grants will reflect ongoing workload-based funding needs and will include a 5.7% sequestration reduction. Quarterly Financial Reports (ETA 9130) are mandatory for all programs, but no Quarterly Progress Reports are required. To apply, states must submit the SF-424 forms through Grants.gov within 30 days of this UIPL’s publication. This application must estimate funding based on historical workload data, adjusted per the guidance provided in Attachment I, which includes completing fields like the Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and cataloging accurate federal assistance information. The DOL will issue awards biannually, with priority on programs with cumulative earnings over $500. Detailed program guidance and eligibility instructions are included, ensuring that states can allocate funds to cover costs related to the processing of claims, data retention, and fraud detection. For further clarification, states are advised to contact their respective ETA Regional Office.