For those claimants the Vermont Department of Labor had yet to receive a recoup of the pre-payment of the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) program provided in April, the Department withheld FPUC amounts from claimants for the week ending either July 18 or July 25. Claimants continue to receive their calculated weekly benefit amount.
On April 20, 2020, claimants deemed to be likely eligible for unemployment were mailed a check in the amount of $1200 from the Vermont Treasurer’s Office. The payment represented a pre-payment of two-weeks worth of the federal $600 benefit. Those receiving checks had likely not received any benefit payment prior to April 20, 2020.
Following this pre-payment of the federal benefit, the Department advised individuals that they would need to pay back the pre-payment once back-weeks for unemployment insurance benefits were filed and received, both online and through direct mail. For those individuals that did not return the pre-payment once back-week unemployment benefits were provided, the Department of Labor withheld the FPUC amount of $600 for the weeks ending July 18 and July 25 to recoup funds provided through the pre-payment by the State.